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🇰🇷 South Korea /Environment & Climate

28 Red Foxes Released into Sobaeksan National Park

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • South Korea's National Park Service is releasing 28 endangered red foxes into Sobaeksan National Park to restore the Baekdudaegan ecosystem.
  • The foxes, mostly one year old and trained for eight months in survival skills, are part of a long-term project initiated in 2012 to increase the red fox population in the region.
  • Efforts include GPS tracking for two years, monitoring for roadkill and poisoning, and community engagement to ensure the foxes' successful integration and the ecosystem's health.

South Korea is taking a significant step to restore its natural ecosystem by releasing 28 endangered red foxes into Sobaeksan National Park. The National Park Service announced the initiative, aimed at revitalizing the Baekdudaegan mountain range, a crucial ecological corridor. This project is part of a broader, long-term effort that began in 2012 to re-establish a healthy red fox population in the region.

This fox release is an important milestone for restoring the ecosystem not only in Sobaeksan but across the Korean Peninsula and for recovering biodiversity.

— Joo Dae-youngThe president of the National Park Service highlights the significance of the red fox reintroduction.

The released foxes, predominantly one-year-old individuals, have undergone rigorous eight-month training programs to equip them with essential survival skills for the wild. This includes learning hunting techniques within specialized adaptation facilities. The foxes are being released using a 'soft release' method, allowing them to gradually acclimate to their new environment by opening enclosure doors and encouraging natural dispersal.

We will strive to prevent roadkill and eradicate illegal traps around areas where foxes appear to ensure they can settle throughout the national ecosystem.

— Joo Dae-youngThe president of the National Park Service outlines measures to protect the reintroduced foxes.

To ensure the success of this reintroduction, each fox is fitted with a GPS tracker for approximately two years to monitor their movements and survival. The authorities are also implementing measures to prevent immediate threats such as roadkill and pesticide poisoning, including 24-hour monitoring of their initial paths and community engagement activities like removing illegal traps. The goal is to increase the red fox population in the Sobaeksan area to 100 individuals and establish at least five stable breeding populations within the next year, marking a vital milestone for biodiversity in Korea.

If you happen to discover a fox, please maintain a quiet distance without approaching or following it.

— National Park ServiceThe National Park Service advises the public on how to behave if they encounter a red fox.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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