South Korea Spotlights Fox as September’s Endangered Species

The Korean fox, characterized by its slender muzzle, large upright ears, and long, bushy tail, is known for its elusive nature. (Image courtesy of Korea National Park Service, KNPS)

SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Korea Bizwire) – The Ministry of Environment has announced the fox as September’s endangered wildlife species, highlighting the animal’s precarious status and ongoing conservation efforts in South Korea.

Once ubiquitous across the Korean peninsula, the fox population faced near-extinction due to indiscriminate hunting and secondary poisoning from rodenticides in the 1970s.

By the 1980s, foxes had all but disappeared from the wild, prompting the government to designate them as a Grade I endangered species in 1995.

Hope for the species’ survival was rekindled in 2004 when a deceased fox was discovered in Yanggu County, Gangwon Province.

This finding spurred the Ministry of Environment and the Korea National Park Service to launch a full-scale restoration project in 2012, centered around Sobaeksan National Park, deemed an ideal fox habitat.

Today, the fox population in South Korea has rebounded to approximately 120 animals, including two second-generation foxes born in the wild. These numbers, while encouraging, underscore the ongoing challenges in bringing the species back from the brink of extinction.

The Korean fox, characterized by its slender muzzle, large upright ears, and long, bushy tail, is known for its elusive nature.

“Foxes generally avoid human contact, and encounters are rare,” explained Park Min-seo, a wildlife officer with the National Park Service. “If you do spot a fox, it’s best to quietly move away without attempting to feed or approach it.”

The Ministry of Environment advises anyone who encounters an injured fox or one in need of urgent care to contact the Central Conservation Center of the Korea National Park Wildlife Conservation Center.

Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)