A Species of Asian Bear Reported in Two Areas in Korea

An Asian black bear, a species of Asian bear which has a crescent shaped stripe across its chest, was reported in two different spots in Kangwon province, Korea. However, the bears which are on the verge of extinction, if they are not already extinct as many scientists think, face grave danger because the areas are designated as hunting grounds.
The Green Korea United (GKU) revealed on November 9 that they found evidence in the form of footprints of the bear. Their picture clearly shows a 15cm long and 10cm wide paw track on the snow, taken in the southern area of Kangwon province on April 6, 1998.
In the past three years, three witnesse claim they have seen an Asian black bear in the northern area of Kangwon province. A source at the GKU said, 'We did not want to disclose the fact that the bears are alive. But, we changed our decision because the areas are hunting grounds so the bears are in crisis.'