According to a one-year research project on mountain goats in Uljin conducted by the Korea National Park Service’s Species Restoration Technology Institute, 68 goats inhabit Seokpo-myeon in Uljin-gun and Buk-myeon in Bonghwa-gun. (image: Daegu Environment Agency )
DAEGU, Korea, Jan. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — It has been confirmed that at least 68 mountain goats (Naemorhedus goral raddeanus) inhabit the mountainous area in the north of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.
Mountain goats are currently classified as a category 1 endangered species in Korea, which corresponds to the Critically Endangered (CR) and Endangered (EN) classifications from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List of Threatened Species.
According to a one-year research project on mountain goats in Uljin conducted by the Korea National Park Service’s Species Restoration Technology Institute, 68 goats inhabit Seokpo-myeon in Uljin-gun and Buk-myeon in Bonghwa-gun.
According to the research, the share of youngsters between one to three years old is large among the confirmed goats, letting expectations grow that the multiplication rate for this group of goats would be high.
The maximum range of inhabitation is 1.21 square kilometers for female mountain goats and 1.55 square kilometer for male mountain goats. It is reported that male goats roam around on slopes at low altitudes, while female goats usually roam around slopes at high altitudes.
The Daegu Environment Agency said that Uljin-gun and Bonghwa-gun were assessed as stable natural habitats, and that related government agencies would continuously put forward their best efforts in the conservation of mountain goats.
It is currently reported that there are now between 700 and 800 mountain goats inhabiting the area around the DMZ and the Baekdudaegan Mountains in North Korea. Mountain goats were designated as natural monument No. 217 in 1968.
By M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
