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In June, we delivered the news that an endangered species 1st-class half-moon black bear was found in Deogyusan, Jeollabuk-do. When we tested it, it turned out to be a descendant of a half-moon bear released on Mount Jirisan. As a result, the number of half-moon bears living off Mount Jirisan has increased to three.

This is reporter Lee Yong-sik.

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It is in the forest near Sinpungryeong, Mt. Deogyu.

On the 31st of last month, a half-moon bear roamed and approached the raw port lab, and then hesitated for a while before entering the barrel.

The bear, caught by the National Park Service Vandal Bear Restoration Team, weighed 141 kg, and was an unidentified male bear with no trace of a locating transmitter, and a poaching tool injured in the neck and feet.

When blood and hair roots were pulled and genetically tested, it was identified as a descendant of a half-moon bear that radiated to Mount Jirisan.

[Lee Sa-Hyun/National Parks Corporation Southern Conservation Center Director: It was confirmed that an individual born in Mt. Jirisan in 2015, its mother was 25 times.]

This bear was caught in Sambongsan, Geochang in November of last year, and in June last year . It also appeared at the Sinpoengryeong in Deogyusan Mountain.

Four days before being captured, it was revealed that the bee farm near Muju Resort was damaged.

[Lee Kwang-su/owner of the bee farm: I put all the beehives upside down and crushed them to eat.]

This is not the first time that a half-moon black bear has appeared here.

About a month ago, it disappeared after breaking two native beehives and consuming honey.

Jirisan half moon bears traveled only 60km.

The research team attached a positioning transmitter to the body of a half moon bear and released it to the captured place.

As the Deogyu-san half-moon bear was identified as a descendant of the Jirisan-san radiated bear, the number of half-moon bears living outside Jirisan after Gimcheon in Gyeongbuk and Jangsu in Jeonbuk increased to three.

As the half-moon bears expanded their habitat, concerns about safety accident prevention, tracking management, and habitat protection also increased.

(Video coverage: Kang Yun-gu, screen provided: National Park Service)