Two Asiatic black bears released into the wild around Mount Jiri have given birth.
 
The Korea National Park Service said on Monday that one bear gave birth to a cub in a cave located 12-hundred meters above sea level earlier in January. Another bear gave birth for the fourth time recently.
 
With the new births, the number of Asiatic black bears in Mount Jiri has grown to 47. That’s the highest number since such bears began to be released into the wild in 2004.
 
Foxes indigenous to Korea that were released into the wild also gave birth to five cubs in April, raising the number of such foxes to 19.
 
The park service said that if such growth continues, it will be able to meet the target population of 50 within three years, which is considered the minimum number required to stably restore a species.