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Jinyangho Zoo

Discussion in 'South Korea' started by vogelcommando, 8 Dec 2014.

  1. vogelcommando

    vogelcommando Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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  2. dt644

    dt644 Well-Known Member

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    Ah...this accident happened a long time ago and this page is old too. So many people will be unconcerned this happened, but I will explain in detail this accident that known 'The Bear Killed the Lioness in Jinyangho zoo.' because I met the Jinyangho zoo's oldest zookeeper, he was told me the truth of this accident. and I also saw a media report that said truly what happened that day too.

    To tell the conclusion first, it's true that the brown bear came over to the lioness's exhibit. and the lioness died the day after the bear came over to her exhibit. but The bear did not attack or cause trauma injury the lioness.
     
    Last edited: 22 Dec 2019
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  3. dt644

    dt644 Well-Known Member

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    The name of the dead lioness is "Soon-i", meaning "peaceful." Like this name, soon-i was a very gentle lioness and was famous for 'lions that live with dog'.

    Soon-i was born in Jinyangho Zoo in April 1995, but at the time the lion exhibit at Jinyangho Zoo was very poor environment, So soon-i's mother did not care for the her children and rather ate them. In that situation, the zookeeper who I was met took Soon-i out of the cage and brought it his home.

    Soon-i was living few months at the zookeeper's house, and returned to the zoo. but lived alone because she could not live with another lions. zookeepers was sad about it. So in 2002, a male dog named "Ttateng-chir-i" was put in to soon-i's enclosure, and ttaengchiri stayed with soon-i together. It became famous when they appeared on TV shows.

    [​IMG]
    This picture is Soon-i and Ttaengchiri.
     
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  4. dt644

    dt644 Well-Known Member

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    While Soon-i and ttaengchiri were living together, the zookeeper who took care soon-i was take charge of the new baby animal. It was a brown bear named "Eun-bi". eunbi was born jinyangho zoo too, mentioned as a male in media reports, but the zoo records show eunbi as a female, so I still don't know eunbi's gender.

    Anyway, eunbi was returned to the zoo when raised to a certain extent. but there was no enclosure for only eunbi at jinyangho zoo. So eunbi was put in the enclosure where soon-i and ttaengchiri lived.

    The three had been well for some time, but as Eunbi grew up and temper, so there was a need to isolate eunbi from Soon-i and ttaengchiri. But as I said earlier, in the Jinyangho Zoo, there wasn't enclosure which can accommodate only eunbi.

    So in 2005, eunbi was eventually housed in a small cage made by separating the corners of one of us of Soon-i and ttaengchiri's enclosure. After that, eunbi had to stay in that narrow cage for 14 years.

    [​IMG]
    This photo is eunbi and eunbi's narrow cage. I took this photo 04/27/2017
     
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  5. dt644

    dt644 Well-Known Member

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    Years later, Ddaengchiri died at the end of his life, and an accident occurred on 12. 29, 2014, when Soon-i turned 20. Soon-i's cage and Eun-bi's we shared the same inner room, the two inner rooms separated by one iron gate.

    Soon-i refused to eat from a week before the accident, so which kept the chicken meat in her cage ready to eat at any time. According to zookeepers, Eunbi tried to come over to Soon-i's cage in search of the chicken and eventually the old lock that was supporting the iron gate was broken and Eunbi came over to Soon-i's cage.

    DSC_0249.JPG
    Soon-i's inner chamber, which is now a South american coati enclosure. eunbi was came over breaking the lock of the door in the back wall. I took this photo 10/30/2019.


    ...The media claimed the scene was soaked by soon-i's blood, citing "anonymous witnesses". while zookeepers and veterinarians claimed Sun-i had no trauma and that the autopsy showed that she was inflamed by her gut, so leading to death by her death not because of the eunbi's attack but because of soon-i's old age and the stress by Eunbi.

    I'm not sure because I didn't witness the incident myself, but I decided to take a look at the circumstances and believe what the zookeepers said.

    First, the media repeated reports of no equity. They reported Soon-i’s death by reporting on her death with a sham title like "Who’s going to win if a bear and a lion fight?", and eunbi was apparently broken the "lock" but some report said that eunbi had broken the "iron bars fence" and crossed into Soon-i’s cage. So there was a clear they did not even investigate properly.

    Secondly, there was no reason to tell a lie to wrap the zoo because the veterinarian who examined soon-i was not part of the zoo. Jinyangho Zoo does not have a veterinarian yet, and when it is necessary to treat an animal, it calls a veterinarian who is affiliated with veterinarian in Jinju city Livestock Division to treat the animal.

    Thirdly, the zookeeper I met, who had raised Soon-i since she was a child. he was never seemed to lie. He was a man who was heartily saddened by Soon-i's death, and who was sure to be willing to do so for animals.
     
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  6. dt644

    dt644 Well-Known Member

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    While this accident has a lot unclear points, I clearly think the biggest victim in the case is the brown bear Eunbi.

    When people heard only that the bear had killed the lion, they hurled merciless insults at the eunbi and the zookeepers. Moreover, even after that, eunbi had to stay in that narrow cage for four years.

    DSC_0925.JPG

    DSC_0946.JPG
    Eunbi's Stereotypic Behavior action and bear enclosure at Jinyangho zoo. took this photos 10/30/2019.

    Earlier this year, eunbi was able to get out of the narrow area after 14 years, because as another old brown bear at bear enclosure in Jinyang Lake Zoo died. But then I don't feel much better. It's just a little bit wider, but the enclosure, where the eunbi has been moved, is still bleak. Therefore, eunbi continues Stereotypic Behavior that repeatedly sucking own feet, and rubbing face against the wall until face is injured.

    I would planning that to participate directly in the improvement of the environment of the Jinyangho Zoo, and provide the enrichment toys for animals to use. I think that would improve the Stereotypic Behavior of Eunbi...Hope to be soon.
     
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  7. vogelcommando

    vogelcommando Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    @dt644 : Thanks a lot for all this very intresting and mostly unknown information. Much appriciated !
     
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  8. dt644

    dt644 Well-Known Member

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    Ah, I wrote the wrong date. It was November, not December, when that happened. 11/29/2014.

    And the next day, the zookeepers confirmed the soon-i's death. 11/30/2014.