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NPR: Conserving Wildlife in the DMZ
In Korean DMZ, Wildlife Thrives. Some Conservationists Worry Peace Could Disrupt It
According to South Korea's Ministry of Environment, more than 5,000 species of plants and animals have been identified in the area, including more than 100 that are protected. Vulnerable, near-threatened and endangered animals in the DMZ include the Siberian musk deer, white-naped crane, red-crowned crane, Asiatic black bear, cinereous vulture and long-tailed goral — a species of wild goat.
Kim and Pyo count birds in the Civilian Control Zone (CCZ), an area up to about six miles wide that runs along the southern side of the DMZ. Due to the restricted nature of the DMZ itself, the institute can only do research on the periphery. Although public access to the civilian zone is also restricted, and the perimeter is lined by barbed wire and military guard posts, Kim has clearance to enter for research purposes.
The CCZ is mainly used for agriculture — farmers are allowed in to work their fields, and the acres of rice paddies grown inside the perimeter are a quiet feeding ground in the winter for many migratory birds.
...
The endangered red-crowned crane, the second rarest crane in the world, winters in the area, relying on the spent grains left in the fields of the CCZ for food, and sleeping in the quiet of the DMZ. There are only about 3,000 of this type of crane left in the world, according the International Crane Foundation. The civilian zone plays an important role in the preservation of the DMZ wildlife, acting as a buffer to minimize traffic to the edges of the DMZ itself.
Kim and Pyo count birds in the Civilian Control Zone (CCZ), an area up to about six miles wide that runs along the southern side of the DMZ. Due to the restricted nature of the DMZ itself, the institute can only do research on the periphery. Although public access to the civilian zone is also restricted, and the perimeter is lined by barbed wire and military guard posts, Kim has clearance to enter for research purposes.
The CCZ is mainly used for agriculture — farmers are allowed in to work their fields, and the acres of rice paddies grown inside the perimeter are a quiet feeding ground in the winter for many migratory birds.
...
The endangered red-crowned crane, the second rarest crane in the world, winters in the area, relying on the spent grains left in the fields of the CCZ for food, and sleeping in the quiet of the DMZ. There are only about 3,000 of this type of crane left in the world, according the International Crane Foundation. The civilian zone plays an important role in the preservation of the DMZ wildlife, acting as a buffer to minimize traffic to the edges of the DMZ itself.
More:
https://www.npr.org/2019/04/20/710054899/in-korean-dmz-wildlife-thrives-some-conservationists-worry-peace-could-disrupt-i
