For Whom is the 'Korean Wolf Restoration'? [Yoon Ji-ro's Anthropocene Observation]

The recent escape and recapture of "Neukgu," a wolf from Daejeon's O-World zoo, has ignited a much-needed public conversation about the welfare of animals in captivity and the true meaning of species "restoration" in South Korea. While the immediate relief of Neukgu's safe return is palpable, the incident has exposed significant shortcomings in our approach to animal husbandry and conservation.

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I don't know if Neukgu felt a sense of liberation while walking long distances outside the enclosure for nine days, or if he suffered from extreme fear and hunger.

Civil society groups have seized this opportunity, organizing forums to dissect the issues raised by Neukgu's nine-day sojourn in the outside world. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Energy has responded by accelerating plans to increase the proportion of "licensed zoos" from a mere 8% to 90% by next year. However, there's a strong cautionary note: this expansion must not devolve into a mere handout of public funds to poorly managed facilities simply to meet licensing requirements. The focus must remain on genuine welfare improvements, not just bureaucratic compliance.

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It's fortunate that the Neukgu incident seems to be serving as an opportunity to inspect zoo conditions and re-examine their meaning.

Beyond the immediate welfare concerns, a deeper, more troubling question lingers: the "secret of birth" surrounding the wolves at O-World. Since 2008, Daejeon Zoo has consistently promoted a narrative of "Korean wolf restoration," claiming to have imported wolves from Russia for breeding purposes. This narrative has been repeated through births and subsequent deaths of cubs, and further introductions, all under the banner of preserving the Korean wolf species. Yet, the fundamental question remains: why are these wolves confined to zoo enclosures, and what is the scientific basis for their classification as "Korean wolves"?

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We are proceeding with customs procedures for the import of seven wolves captured in the Saratov region of Russia, which will be a good opportunity for the conservation and breeding of Korean wolves.

The term "restoration" itself is problematic when applied to the current situation. True restoration, in ecological terms, involves reintroducing species into their natural habitats to bolster biodiversity. While species like the Asiatic black bear and the red fox have been successfully reintroduced into the wild in Korea, the Korean wolf's story seems confined to the artificial environment of a zoo. The zoo's breeding program, initiated arbitrarily, raises doubts about its scientific rigor and its alignment with genuine conservation goals. Furthermore, the wolves' scientific name, *Canis lupus*, lacks the subspecies designation (*canis lupus coreanus*) that would definitively identify them as Korean wolves. Verification processes appear to have been insufficient, leaving open the possibility that these wolves are not, in fact, the native Korean subspecies. This ambiguity allows the zoo to engage in what can only be described as "animal washing" – a misleading marketing strategy that elevates commercial value over genuine conservation efforts.

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There was no procedure to compare whether these wolves were Korean wolves.