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Preservation Through De-Militarization: Endangered Species Found in Korean DMZ

I wonder what graduate student is going to get this field assignment. Dozens of endangered species have been found in the demilitarized zone between Koreas. The Dear Leader is unlikely to prove a budding naturalist.

It appears that the cold war in Korea has proven a godsend in the DMZ for at least 70 different kinds of rare species of fauna and flora. This includes the Amur Leopard.

They are also as rare as civil liberties in North Korea.

For the full story, click here.

7 thoughts on “Preservation Through De-Militarization: Endangered Species Found in Korean DMZ”

  1. A little bit of good news from a very scary and volatile area of the world. I hope the land mines don’t reduce the numbers of these endangered animals.

  2. The Dear Leader is unlikely to prove a budding naturalist.

    Can someone explain what this means?

  4. This is an old story. Alan Weisman in “The World Without Us” has a whole chapter on the DMZ and what’s happened with a 150 x 3 mile strip of land forbidden to humans for 50-60 years. Apparently the animals have evolved to tiptoe over mine tripwires (from the “Bouncing Betty”-style land mines everywhere). A few endangered species of migrating birds come from thousands of miles north, specifically arriving at the DMZ every year.

    BTW the biggest threat comes from the North which has much more environmental devastation on its side, and which has declared its desire to move its people into the DMZ. Just look at a satellite view of the DMZ- it’s shocking:
    http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=DMZ,+South+Korea&sll=38.479663,128.077412&sspn=1.513663,3.56781&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Korean+Demilitarized+Zone&ll=38.614724,128.358765&spn=3.02163,7.13562&t=k&z=8

    The DMZ is that thick green line.

    I doubt I can embed an iframe, let me try for the hell of it just to see:

    [googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=DMZ,+South+Korea&sll=38.479663,128.077412&sspn=1.513663,3.56781&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Korean+Demilitarized+Zone&ll=39.164141,128.62793&spn=3.02163,7.13562&t=k&z=8&output=embed&w=425&h=350%5D

    Probably not.

    If you like pictures like that, then satellite pictures of Hispaniola are great. Just look at the Dominican Republic and Haiti:

    http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=911+Bing+Dr,+Santa+Clara,+California+95051&ll=18.898491,-71.320496&spn=1.829293,3.56781&t=k&z=9

    Can you tell where the border is?

  5. When and if the two Koreas are ever reunited the DMZ should be retained as a national park and ecotourist destination.

  6. Looks like President Clinton will be padding his frequent flier miles.

  7. The only endangered species on that strip of real estate is US if we get embroiled in that simmering civil war.

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