The Endangered Species of Korea

The extinction of a species can be nothing but devastating, as all of us were reminded recently upon the death of Lonesome George, the last Pinta Tortoise. A 100-year-old member of the world’s ecology has just passed, but through this sad event, we can find a renewed energy in our efforts of conservation for endangered species like him.

The strong drive for conservation in Korea has come after Korea’s own troubled past with its own endangered species, many of which were hunted onto the Endangered Species List, or even to extinction. The Korean tiger is a prime example. The story of the Korean tiger (technically called the Amur tiger, but now known as the Siberian tiger) features prominently in the creation myth of Korea and its subsequent legends, folktales, and symbolism; Koreans even believe that the shape of Korea is like that of tiger. During its time here in Korea, the Korean tiger was the largest of all the felids (cat species) and served as an integral part of both the Korean ecosystem and identity. Due to wars, expansion, and hunting (Chinese medicine includes the use of tiger bone), the Korean tiger became extinct in South Korea sometime between 1922 and 1944. Heat traps have been placed in the Demilitarized Zone (one of Korea’s most protected and prolific game reserves), but no tigers have ever been recorded. It is believed that there might be a few Korean tigers still left in the mountains of North Korea, although sightings are so rare as to be thought nonexistent, leading researchers to believe that their numbers are quickly dwindling.

Half a century ago, the population of these tigers was at an unbelievable low: 40 tigers in the wild. Now, there are somewhere between 430-550 tigers in the wild, virtually all living in eastern Russia near the borders of China and North Korea. While the positive expansion of the Siberian tiger population is due mostly to Russian conservation efforts, there is still a need for further development, since Siberian tigers are subject to heavy poaching in the wild.

There are currently over 80 other endangered species living in Korea, most of which are birds, though there are also the more exotic leopards and Asiatic black bears. Asiatic black bears, in particular, should be close to the hearts of Koreans living in the Gwangju area, since Jirisan National Park, a mere two hours’ drive from Gwangju, is the home of these aggressive, mid-size bears.

Asiatic black bears provide something of a contradictory story in South Korea. After their numbers dwindled to nonexistence in the wild, researchers working with Russia imported several of the bears to Jirisan National Park, where the Jirisan Restoration Center (only a short trip from Hwasun Temple) currently has 19 bears thriving in the wild. Yet even though there are conservationists actively trying to rebuild the Asiatic bear population in the wild, there are literally thousands of bears kept in captivity by Korean businesses in Ha Long City, Vietnam, where their bile is extracted and sold to Korean tourists to increase health and sexual vitality. These activities are illegal according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Still, there are at least 10 bear farms in Vietnam’s Quang Ninh Province where, every 10 days, an estimated 1,500 Korean tourists are taken to purchase bear bile.

The incredibly endangered Amur leopard (sometimes known as the Korean leopard) exists most notably on the border between China and North Korea. Of this particular subspecies of leopard, there are said to be only 30 wild cats left in the world, though perhaps there are a few more located in the mountains of North Korea. For obvious reasons, however, researchers have not been able to survey that area.

The more common Korean leopard cat and Eurasian otter, while significantly less glamorous and nowhere near as famous, reside on Gwangju’s very own Mudeung Mountain, and are indeed a slightly engendered species. The leopard cat looks exactly like it sounds: like a very small leopard, or a slightly larger housecat with leopard markings on it. While the leopard cat still flourishes in some parts of the world, they are often hunted for their skins and their body parts are sold for medicinal purposes. There is even a Japanese subspecies of the Korean leopard cat which has been put on the Critically Endangered List because it has been so hunted throughout its history. The Eurasian river otter makes its home on Mudeung-san as well, and while elusive, is an important part of the ecological maintenance of Jeollanam-do. Unfortunately, the only rehabilitation site for these animals is in Gangwon-do, which means that a lot of the habitat for these creatures is left to the good will of Gwangju hikers and citizens.

The true success story of conservation in Korea, and perhaps the most ironic, is the importance of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Korea’s wildlife preservation efforts. Because the DMZ has been virtually untouched since the 1950s, the symbolic strip of land that forms the border between North and South Korea is home to dozens of engendered species; its thriving bird population is impressive and important to the future of many animals. A trip through the DMZ not only imparts important historical information, but also allows visitors to view several species exclusive to that area. The Korean water deer, most infamously known as the “vampire deer” because it possesses what appear to be fangs, is one such example. The world’s most dangerous border has also become one of the world’s most important conservation sites for the white-naped crane, the hooded crane, the Manchurian crane, the white-bellied woodpecker, and dozens of others species.

Since the death of Lonesome George, a new icon  for conservation has emerged to prominence in the Galapagos Islands: Diego. Diego is a 100-year-old member of another subspecies of Galapagos tortoise, the Espanola tortoise, once located at the San Diego Zoo and now living in a breeding corral on the Galapagos island Santa Cruz. Unlike Lonesome George, researchers have been able to successfully repopulate his species; where once there were less than a dozen, there are now thousands.

This example of effective repopulation offers an important message:  just because we reach the edge doesn’t mean we have to go over it.

———————————————————

Interested in conservation? A visit to the Jirisan Restoration Center is a quick ride from Gwangju. You can see several Asiatic black bears in the spring or summer (they hibernate in the winter). Amur-leopard.org features information about the big cats and opportunities to donate.

Currently, the DMZ forum is petitioning to have the DMZ turned into a peace park memorial and a World Heritage Site in an effort to not only promote peace between North and South Korea, but to protect the wildlife reserve that the DMZ has become. Information is available on their website, dmzforum.org.