Endangered Species 'Hwanggeumbat' Discovered in Mudeungsan National Park

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] A ‘Red Bat,’ designated as Natural Monument No. 452 and classified as a Class I endangered wild species, was discovered on a trail in Mudeungsan National Park.

The Gwangju Wildlife Rescue and Management Center, affiliated with the Gwangju Health and Environment Research Institute, announced that on the 15th of last month, a ‘Red Bat’ was found injured by the roadside near the entrance of the Mudeungsan National Park trail in Yongyeon-dong, Dong-gu.

After being found immobile by a citizen cultivating land in Yongyeon Village, the Mudeungsan National Park Office rescued the bat and transferred it to the Gwangju Center.

Most bats are vulnerable to injury during the period when they awaken from hibernation, as their strength is very weak; the Red Bat found this time is presumed to be such a case.

According to the Gwangju Center’s examination, facial injuries and nasal membrane lacerations were confirmed, and despite intensive treatment, the bat died.

The ‘Red Bat’ has a body length of about 4 to 6 cm, with an orange-colored torso and black ear auricles and wing membranes, earning it the nickname ‘Golden Bat.’

It is a globally rare species that mainly hibernates (October to May) in natural caves or abandoned mines. In Korea, after the first reported colony habitat in Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do in 1999, it is reported that only about 300 to 500 individuals inhabit several colony sites nationwide.

In a 2016 survey titled ‘Distribution of Bats in Mudeungsan National Park’ conducted by the Mudeungsan National Park Office, five species including the Greater Horseshoe Bat, Lesser Horseshoe Bat, Ussuri Bat, House Bat, and Black House Bat were surveyed at four locations such as Yongchu Cave and Uisang Cave within Mudeungsan.

Kim Yong-hwan, Director of the Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory, said, “The Red Bat found and unfortunately deceased in Mudeungsan will be provided to the National Park Research Institute for academic research aimed at biodiversity conservation and endangered species study. The Gwangju Center will continue to make greater efforts to monitor and protect various wild animals in the Gwangju area, including Mudeungsan and the Yeongsan River.”

Meanwhile, detailed information on wildlife rescue and treatment can be found on the city’s official website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.