South Korea to ban bear farming, but what to do about hundreds of captive animals that remain?

[Still Waters]

South Korea’s successful restoration of a wild Asiatic black bear population to Jirisan National Park is a huge conservation success story. But the fortune of this wild population stands in contrast to the plight of more than 300 captive bears that remain on bear farms across the country, often in extremely poor conditions.

A series of major policy changes during the past year have included the announcement of a joint declaration between the South Korean government, bear farmers and NGOs to ban bear farming in the country by the start of 2026. After almost 30 years of policy deadlock over the fate of captive bears in South Korea, the joint declaration sets out a clear pathway towards the end of bear farming in the country.

Continued:

https://theconversation.com/south-korea-to-ban-bear-farming-but-what-to-do-about-hundreds-of-captive-animals-that-remain-197316