A Formosan black bear plays inside an enclosure at the government-run bear shelter Wushikeng Research Center in Taichung, Taiwan, May 9, 2024. Since 2014, 18 bears have been captured in traps, with six found dead, according to the non-governmental organisation, the Taiwan Black Bear Conservation Association. While most of the bears were released, some suffered major injuries caused by old-fashioned hunting tools such as metal snares, which can break bones or severe paws or toes as the bear struggles to break free. "Steel snares bounce off from the ground and tighten up their limbs when triggered by animals," said Liu Li-wen, 36, an animal caretaker. "That's why we are seeing many bears with broken paws or toes in the wild. It's likely that they were entangled by traps, broke free by themselves and survived." REUTERS/Ann Wang
