For over sixty years, no-one has been allowed into the Korean Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the border between North and South Korea. The Korean War left the 2.5 kilometre-wide area filled with landmines, but since then, nature has taken over. Thousands of species are estimated to live there, and we’ve just discovered that this includes bears.
Remote cameras set up in the DMZ have captured images of a baby Asiatic black bear walking around a small stream. This species is considered ‘vulnerable’, but almost went extinct in South Korea just eighteen years ago. This is the first proof they live in the DMZ.
Scientists estimate that over five thousand species exist in this region, including many that are endangered. This biodiversity is strongly influenced by the ban on human entry, but this also means that studying the wildlife is extremely difficult. Other animals including tigers are rumoured to live in the region, but unless we get another lucky photo, we may never know.
I don’t know if I’m allowed to post other peoples’ photos here, so the image for this story can be found at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/10/rare-black-bear-north-and-south-korea#img-1
Lachlan Writes Science 