Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

42 Rare Species Spotted
Forty-two endangered species, including flying squirrels, have been spotted in parts of South Korea, the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) said Sunday. The institute said in its survey that 39 animal species and three plants believed to be extinct in Korea still exist in some locations. The research findings are also open to the public on the Ministry of Environment's Web site: www.me.go.kr.
By Park Jung-youn, Korea Times (June 12, 2005)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200506/kt2005061219310411970.htm

[just because]

How long do you think they will exist for????

They will turn the places into tourist attractions...bulldoze the whole thing for 8 minbaks,6 yeogwans, 2 hotels 22 bibimbap restaurants and 5 saunas.

Destruction is what Koreans do best

[joe_doufu]

One of my adult students works for the environmental ministry (or whatever) and he told me that he used to be stationed inside the DMZ doing surveys of animals there. Apparently there is at least one species of bird that is only found in Korea's DMZ... it happens to hate being around people... smart bird... sort of. Fascinating!

[rapier]

To quote from that article:

"The survey showed that the endangered animals, such as the peregrine falcon, microscopic plant life and 10 other species formerly thought to have disappeared, were found on Kojedo, Hwado, Yundoldo, and Cholmyongso islands off the nation��s southern coast.

A variety of marine invertebrates were also found near these islands.

In addition, species critically endangered, including the flying squirrel, gorals, the peregrine falcon, otters, the small-eared cat, the marten, and baikal teal, were also spotted in small numbers."

Either the journalsit hurriedly listed some random species to finish his article, or most likely, the surveyors had little/no experience in what they were looking at. It takes years, and years, of experience birdwatching to know your stuff, you can't just graduate from a biology degree and get the job of surveying the nations fauna accurately.

the Peregrine falcon is hardly endangered, I've seen them regularly in several areas around seoul, even one catching pigeons at Cheongnyangyi station.

The baikal teal is arguably the most numerous duck in the country, although limited to a few favorite haunts, where it can form flocks in the hundreds of thousands.

Still, encourageing to see some positivity placed on dwindling wildlife.