The Taipei Zoo and Mr. Lee Teng-cheng of Pingtung engaged in a Formosan black bear reproduction and adoption project. At the end of 2008 the Formosan black cub bred under this project was named Hei-Tang (Brown Sugar) after a two-stage naming and balloting process. The name choice Hei-Tang received 747 votes.
The seven-month-old Brown Sugar is energetic and very playful. He climbs trees, chews on wood, goes swimming; there isn’t any thing he wouldn’t try and he is actually good at everything he does. Everyone loves Hei-Tang because he is just as sweet as the brown sugar.
Presently Taiwan has a total of 32 Formosan black bears living in captivity. However, basic biological data about the species remains limited. Hence documentation of Hei-Tang’s growth is tremendously important to the work of raising and managing bear litters in the future. The Taipei Zoo aspires to preserve the Formosan bear species by managing the bloodlines of the bears bred in captivity.
A great tree climber
The little cub is having a time of his life