Red foxes released into the wild to restore mountain ecosystem

The Korea National Park Service released 30 red foxes, a class-1 endangered species, into Sobaeksan Mountain as part of an endangered species restoration project. Red foxes were once common across Korea until the 1970s, but their population declined sharply due to rat eradication efforts that caused secondary poisoning.

The government has worked to revive the red fox population since 2012, with recent advancements leading to the birth of 33 fox kits last year. Most of the released foxes came from that litter. The National Park Service expects the red foxes to help rebalance the ecosystem by controlling populations of other species. To monitor their adaptation, the foxes will be fitted with tracking devices and observed using unmanned cameras.