South Korea's Oldest Tiger "Hancheong" Crosses the Rainbow Bridge

The oldest tiger in South Korea, Hancheong, has crossed the rainbow bridge.

The Korea Arboretum and Garden Management Service (KAGMS) announced on November 6 that Baekdusan tiger Hancheong passed away at the National Baekdudaegan Arboretum.

Baekdusan tiger 'Hancheong' is roaming the Tiger Forest. Provided by National Baekdudaegan Arboretum

Hancheong was a female tiger born in May 2005 at Seoul Grand Park. She was transferred to the Baekdudaegan Arboretum in June 2017 and lived for eight years in the Tiger Forest within the arboretum. She was the oldest among tigers in South Korea.

Due to her advanced age, Hancheong had shown signs of aging for several years, such as trembling in both front paws, and since May this year, her activity level and appetite had noticeably declined.

With her relatively gentle temperament and stable behavior, Hancheong frequently appeared in promotional videos and visitor education programs since the early days of the Baekdudaegan Arboretum, earning widespread affection from the public.

In recognition of this, the Baekdudaegan Arboretum plans to set up a "Hancheong Memorial Space" in the Tiger Forest starting November 7, offering visitors an opportunity to leave personal messages of remembrance.

Currently, five Baekdusan tigers-Uri, Mugung, Taebeom, Han, and Do-live in the Tiger Forest at the Baekdudaegan Arboretum. All of these tigers are reported to be in good health.

Lee Gyumyeong, Director of the Baekdudaegan Arboretum, stated, "Since November 4, Hancheong's breathing had become somewhat unstable. As her condition did not improve, she eventually passed away at 12:22 a.m. on November 6."

He added, "The Baekdudaegan Arboretum will conduct a necropsy to determine the exact cause of death and will handle post-mortem procedures in accordance with relevant laws. The data left by Hancheong will be a valuable asset for developing management standards for elderly animals and educational content for conservation."

Meanwhile, the Tiger Forest at the Baekdudaegan Arboretum is designed to closely resemble the natural habitat of the Baekdusan tiger and is operated as the largest tiger enclosure in South Korea.