Died from exhaustion after being confined for 1 hour and 40 minutes
Environmental groups: "A man-made disaster caused by disregard for life"
Controversy has arisen after a natural monument Oriental stork released at the opening ceremony of the Hwapocheon Wetland Science Center in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, died at the site.
According to a report by Yonhap News on October 17, an event was held at the Gimhae Science Center opening ceremony on October 15, during which three Oriental storks were released. For this event, the city planned to release a pair of storks-one male and one female-brought in from Yesan Oriental Stork Park in South Chungcheong Province in 2022 for stork restoration, as well as one of three storks successfully hatched in March this year at Bonghadeul in the Hwapocheon Wetland.
However, shortly after a male stork emerged from a narrow wooden cage, it was unable to fly properly and collapsed. Although zookeepers rushed to move it to the enclosure, it ultimately died.
The Oriental stork released during the wild release event at Yesan Oriental Stork Park last September. The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. Yesan County
The release took place after speeches by the mayor, members of the National Assembly, and other attendees. As a result, the storks had been confined in cages with an internal width of only 30 to 40 centimeters for about one hour and forty minutes. The temperature outside at the time was around 22 degrees Celsius. Experts believe the stork died from stress and exhaustion after being confined in a cramped space for an extended period.
The Gimhae city government explained that the cages were officially rented from the National Heritage Administration and were equipped with ventilation systems. They also stated that there had previously been cases where storks were transported for up to six hours in the same manner, and that veterinarians and zookeepers had continuously checked the storks' condition on the day of the event.
However, environmental groups have criticized the event, claiming that animals were used merely for show, and are demanding a thorough investigation and an official apology.
The Gimhae branch of the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements stated, "Using a natural monument like the Oriental stork as a mere event performance is clearly abuse," and added, "The city must clearly disclose the cause of death and put an end to the practice of using animals in public events." The group emphasized, "This was not a simple accident but a man-made disaster caused by the city’s disregard for life."
In response, a city official said, "We are deeply saddened by this unexpected incident," and added, "The cause of death is currently under investigation in consultation with the National Heritage Administration, and the remaining two storks are being closely monitored."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
