Gyeonggi-do Northern Wildlife Rescue Management Center Releases Eagle Rescued in May Back to Nature

Paju Eagles Restaurant Opening Event Marks Natural Return
Cooperative System Established for Releasing Rescued Eagles

The Northern Gyeonggi Wildlife Rescue and Management Center announced on the 2nd that the natural monument "Eagle," which was found exhausted and rescued in Yeoncheon-gun in May this year, has recovered its health with active support from Gyeonggi Province and returned to the wild in time for the opening event of the Paju Vulture Restaurant held on the 30th.

The Gyeonggi-do Northern Wildlife Rescue and Management Center is releasing a natural monument "Eagle," which was found exhausted and rescued in Yeoncheon-gun in May, in conjunction with the opening event of the Paju Vulture Restaurant, which opened on the 30th with active support from Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Gyeonggi-do

The eagle, a winter migratory bird that winters in Korea, is a large bird of prey designated as Natural Monument No. 243-1. Currently, eagles are divided into hunting eagles and scavenging vultures (condors). It is known that about 20,000 vultures live worldwide, and it is estimated that about 2,000 vultures (condors, vultures) visit Korea every winter.

However, due to urbanization and industrialization, there are cases where they starve to death because of a decrease in food and habitat destruction, so private organizations supply food with donations and their own expenses.

The newly opened Vulture Restaurant is a place that provides food to vultures flying from Mongolia every winter. It is operated by a private organization, the Imjingang Ecological Conservation Association, which also conducts natural purification activities around the Imjin River.

The Vulture Restaurant operates only from November to March and currently exists in seven regions including Paju, Geoje, Gimhae, Changnyeong, Tongyeong, Cheorwon, and Goseong. Among the approximately 2,000 vultures that winter in Korea, about 200 to 600 visit Paju, and the Vulture Restaurant feeds about 600 kg of meat three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday).

The Northern Gyeonggi Wildlife Rescue and Management Center, while searching for a release site for the rescued eagle’s return to the wild, heard that the Imjingang Ecological Conservation Association was providing food to the vultures. They decided to participate in the opening ceremony, believing that releasing the eagle with food supply would help its adaptation and make the occasion more meaningful.

The eagle rescued in May was unable to fly. Although there were no fractures or other external injuries, it was very thin. After rescue, the center treated and rehabilitated it, enabling its return to the wild this time.

Min Mi-seon, director of the Northern Wildlife Rescue and Management Center, said, “Among the rescued animals, large birds like eagles face limitations in evaluating flight ability due to space constraints at the center. One of the release methods is soft-release, which involves supplying food at the release site to help natural adaptation. We judged that receiving such help would make the eagle’s return and adaptation to the wild easier, so we requested cooperation.”

The eagle that returned to the wild will be continuously monitored for its natural adaptation by members of the Imjingang Ecological Conservation Association.

Lee Yeon-sook, director of the Animal Welfare Division of Gyeonggi Province, said, “Linking with local ecological programs like this is expected to increase the settlement rate and survival rate of eagles returning to the wild. We will actively promote wildlife rescue and protection activities through cooperation with private organizations and provide effective and rich educational opportunities linked to the center’s work to inform residents about the importance of ecological conservation.”

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