28 Endangered Foxes Released in Sobaeksan National Park for Tracking

Twenty-eight endangered foxes, classified as a Level 1 endangered species, are being released into Sobaeksan National Park. Each fox will be fitted with a GPS tracking device to monitor their movements and adaptation to the wild for approximately two years.

The National Park Service, under the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, announced on the morning of August 6 that the release is part of efforts to restore the Baekdudaegan ecological corridor.

The release includes 14 male and 14 female foxes, selected from a breeding facility, all capable of living independently in the wild. Of these, 25 were born last year and are now one year old.

For the past eight months, the foxes have been divided into six groups and trained in hunting skills at a natural adaptation site. To help them settle in, they underwent a month-long acclimatization process at four release sites in the Sobaeksan area.

The release will utilize a method called 'soft release,' where the exit doors of their enclosures will be opened to allow the foxes to leave on their own. This approach aims to reduce stress that may occur from sudden exposure to a new environment.

All released foxes will be equipped with GPS devices to track their movements for about two years. In the initial phase of the release, their movements will be monitored 24 hours a day to prevent roadkill and pesticide poisoning, ensuring their stable settlement.

Additionally, illegal hunting tools around the release sites have been collected. A week prior to the release, the National Park Service conducted its own collection activities and held awareness campaigns in nearby villages to discourage the use of illegal hunting tools.

Sobaeksan, located at a midpoint of the Baekdudaegan ecological corridor, serves as a key area for expanding the habitat range of foxes. The National Park Service has been working on a fox restoration project in this region since 2012, estimating that around 70 foxes currently inhabit the area.

The agency aims to increase the fox population in the Sobaeksan region to 100 by 2027 and establish at least five small populations with confirmed breeding of three generations or more.

Joo Dae-young, the director of the National Park Service, stated, "This release of foxes will be an important milestone for the restoration of the ecosystem and biodiversity across the Korean Peninsula. We will actively work to prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions and eliminate illegal hunting tools to ensure the foxes can thrive in the national ecosystem."