[News Terms] 'Seosikji-oe Bojeon Gigan' Protecting Endangered Species

'Ex situ conservation institutions' are organizations designated by the Ministry of Environment to systematically conserve and propagate wild animals and plants that are difficult to preserve within their habitats due to habitat (natural habitat) destruction and poaching. This system was introduced to conserve and breed endangered wild species and restore their natural habitats.

Endangered wild species refer to wild animals and plants whose populations have drastically decreased due to natural or artificial threats, or those with only a few individuals remaining, facing the risk of extinction in the near future. These species are legally protected under the Wildlife Protection and Management Act. As of the end of last year, the Ministry of Environment has designated and manages a total of 282 species, including 68 species classified as Level 1 endangered wild species and 214 species as Level 2 endangered wild species.

Siberian tiger enclosure at Seoul Grand Park Zoo.
Photo by Seoul Grand Park

There are 28 ex situ conservation institutions nationwide, including 6 in the Gangwon region, 5 in the Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon regions, 3 in the Jeolla region, 5 in the Chungcheong region, 6 in the Gyeongsang, Daegu, and Busan regions, and 3 in the Jeju region.

The institution conserving and propagating the most species of animals is the Seoul Grand Park Zoo in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, which preserves 22 species including wolves, Asiatic black bears, Korean goral, otters, and Eurasian lynx. For plants, the Hallasan Botanical Garden in Jeju City conserves 26 species including Geumjaran, Nado orchid, Ammae, Jukbaek orchid, Pungran, Hallasomdari, and Hallan.

There are also institutions dedicated to the conservation and propagation of rare and unique species. The Jamsa Insect Business Site in Gyeongsangbuk-do conserves the royal swallowtail butterfly (1 insect species), the Oriental stork at the Oriental Stork Ecology Research Institute in Cheongju, Chungbuk, the crested ibis at the Upo Crested Ibis Restoration Center in Changnyeong-gun, Gyeongnam, and the Holocene Ecology Conservation Research Institute in Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon, conserves and propagates red-spotted apollo butterfly, small-horned dung beetle, water scorpion, and water beetle (insects).

On the 31st, the National Institute of Ecology under the Ministry of Environment will hold the '3rd Endangered Species Day' commemorative ceremony at Seoul Grand Park Zoo, the first ex situ conservation institution in Korea, to reexamine efforts and achievements in conserving endangered wild species.