SEOUL, Sept. 28 (Korea Bizwire) – A rare sight of a wildcat, the only small wild member of the cat family on the Korean peninsula, and a badger, the top-level omnivorous predator walking together, was caught by an unmanned camera installed at a national park.
To commemorate the Chuseok holiday, the Korea National Park Service unveiled on Wednesday scenes of endangered wildlife captured by unmanned cameras installed at national parks from May to August.
In Jirisan National Park, a rare scene was captured in May and August where a wildcat was accompanied by a badger. In general, wildcats and badgers are solitary animals.
In Gyeongju, a wildcat family was spotted in July. The wildcat, designated as a 2nd-grade endangered animal, once inhabited areas across the country, but its population drastically declined in the aftermath of the Rat Catch Movement in the 1960s.
Furthermore, in Naejangsan National Park, a flying squirrel peering down from a tree was captured in May. Also in the same month, a mother hazel grouse was seen taking care of her young in Sobaeksan National Park. A fairy pitt engaged in foraging activity was spotted in June in Wolchulsan National Park, while in Jirisan National Park, a scene of a goshawk taking a bath was captured in July.
Song Hyung-geun, the chairman of the Korea National Park Service, said, “The video footage is valuable data obtained during the investigation of endangered species. We will strive to preserve natural habitats by understanding the ecological behaviors of various wild animals.”
Around 41 percent of the nation’s biological species and 68 percent of endangered wild animals inhabit national parks across the country.
Image credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
