No Evidence of Crocodile Habitation in Museom Village, Yeongju, Gyeongbuk

Ministry of Environment Announces Search Results on Presence of Crocodiles in Museom Village
4 to 7 Otters Confirmed Living Around Museomgyo Bridge
Experts Say "Otters Can Be Mistaken for Crocodiles"

Recently, the Ministry of Environment conducted a ten-day search in the Yeongju area of Gyeongbuk following reports of an alligator sighting, but no alligators or signs of their habitation were found. Instead, the Ministry confirmed that 4 to 7 otters are living in the area.

Authorities began the search after a report was made around 7 p.m. on the 13th by one Korean and four Filipino workers in Museom Village, Munsu-myeon, Yeongju City, Gyeongbuk, stating that "an alligator about 1 meter long was seen outside the water before entering the Naeseongcheon stream and disappearing." From the 14th, the Ministry of Environment, along with affiliated organizations such as the Daegu Regional Environmental Office and the National Institute of Biological Resources, searched a 54 km stretch from near Yeongju Dam upstream of Naeseongcheon to the point where it meets the Nakdong River downstream. The search, conducted with reptile experts, also employed equipment such as drones and unmanned sensor cameras. However, no traces of alligators, such as feces or footprints, were found.

On the 13th, there was a report of seeing a crocodile around Museomgyo in Munsu-myeon, Yeongju-si, Gyeongbuk.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

However, the Ministry of Environment stated, "Endangered wildlife species such as otters (classified as Grade 1 endangered wild animals), water deer, and raccoons were found in the area," adding that "experts noted that otters could be mistaken for alligators from a certain distance." It was determined that 4 to 7 otters inhabit the area around Museomgyo Bridge. Otters measure about 63 to 75 cm in body length and 41 to 55 cm in tail length, making their total length nearly the same as the 1-meter size reported by the witnesses.

Museom Village is a national folk cultural asset where the Naeseongcheon, a tributary of the Nakdong River, winds around three sides of the village. Since many tourists visit the area, authorities plan to continue monitoring the situation in case of any possible alligator appearances. Currently, safety warning banners have been posted at four locations around Museom Village, and five closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras were installed near Museomgyo Bridge on the 15th. The Ministry of Environment will continue surveillance using unmanned sensor cameras for another one to two weeks to monitor for any alligator presence, and Yeongju City in Gyeongbuk has also decided to deploy personnel to control access to the site.