The national animal of Taiwan is the Formosan black bear. This is considered to be unofficial but is widely regarded as the country’s national animal. This is a subspecies of the Asiatic black bear, with a distinctive v-shaped mark on the chest in white contrasting with the bear’s otherwise black coat.
So, though the animal is not officially recognized as the country’s national animal in the sense that other countries have a national animal, it is certainly still the only national animal the country has.
These black bears are under some threat from the destruction of their habitat and there are at most an estimated 600 individuals alive today.
Let’s find out more.
Does Taiwan have an official animal?
Officially, Taiwan does not have a national animal.
Most countries do specifically adopt a particular animal as their national animal in an official capacity, but so far Taiwan has not done this.
Whether you could call Taiwan its own country or an autonomous region of China is an entirely different debate, but it’s worth taking into consideration whether this tension has influenced the fact that no animal has been officially labeled as the national animal of Taiwan.
That said, Taiwan does have many other national symbols and culturally certainly is distinct from China.
With that said, the unofficial national animal of Taiwan is the Formosan black bear.
This bear is also called the Taiwanese black bear.
It is a subspecies of the Asiatic black bear, a species native to Asia living a mostly arboreal lifestyle.
They are found in the Himalayas, Iran, the Indian subcontinent, the Korean Peninsula, China, Russia, Japanese islands and of course Taiwan.
The Formosan black bear is the largest land animal and the only native bear in Taiwan.
They are fairly heavily built and their snout resembling a dog’s snout has earned them the nickname dog bear.
One of the most distinctive features is the v-shaped white mark on the chest, common to most Asiatic black bears.
The Formosan black bear’s mark, though, is a bit darker and more clearly shaped like a V.
They mostly eat leaves, buds, fruits, and roots—they are not carnivores.
They eat insects, though, and sometimes fish and carrion, but this makes up a relatively small part of their diet.
They much prefer to eat a plant-based diet.
Given that they are Taiwan’s largest mammal, it’s no surprise that they should become the national animal.
They are one of the most striking animals to be seen in the nation.
But are they at risk of extinction?
Is the Formosan black bear endangered?
According to their official international conservation status, they are vulnerable to becoming endangered.
For all intents and purposes, they are endangered, although estimates vary wildly about their remaining numbers.
Some estimates are as high as 600, others as low as 200. Either way, though, that puts them at risk of extinction.
There are a number of reasons for their dwindling numbers.
They are illegally hunted, though they have been protected since 1989.
Sightings are very infrequent and so it can be very hard to get accurate numbers on their population.
The other factor is the destruction of their habitat.
Though it has not been as bad in Taiwan as in other parts of the world, human encroachment into their territory has made it harder for them to find territory of their own as naturally, each bear needs a relatively large range to roam.
But there is certainly hope for the species’ future, though. If nothing else, their immense mythological importance to the Taiwanese and particularly the Bunun people has made their preservation and protection an important matter for all of Taiwan.
In 2001, the bear was voted the most representative wildlife of Taiwan in a large voting campaign.
Where is the Formosan black bear found?
The Formosan black bear mostly inhabits mountainous forest regions.
As mentioned, they live a mostly arboreal lifestyle, meaning they spend a great deal of their time up in the trees.
As with many bear species, they tend to prefer living on slopes and hills, finding places to burrow for winter and coming down during the summer to feed.
Mountain forests in Taiwan, then, are the main areas where you will find the Formosan black bear.
Again, though, even when their numbers were greater seeing them was still very infrequent as they are elusive and generally avoid humans if possible.
Is a black bear bigger than a grizzly?
Black bears are usually quite a bit smaller than grizzlies.
Grizzlies have longer, curved claws, much more humped shoulders and a concave face.
Grizzly bears are generally much lighter in color with brown fur rather than black.
Grizzlies, also, tend to be a lot more dangerous; all bears are more timid than you might expect and again try to avoid humans, but whereas black bears eat mostly plant matter, grizzlies tend to eat mostly meat of one kind or another.
They might eat fish from the river or they might hunt larger game, but you are much more likely to be in danger from a grizzly than from a black bear.
So, again, it’s worth remembering that Taiwan does not have an official national animal.
That said, the Formosan black bear is the national animal in all but official capacity.
Many even of Taiwanese people will recognize the black bear as an important national symbol if not as the actual national animal itself.
But these animals are under grave threat.