photo of Gangsan. I took this photo July 28, 2017. This table is a family tree of Gangsan and Maehwa that I made. No. 522 is Gangsan and No. 523 is Maehwa, and 89, 140, 141, 142 were from North Korea. The chronic problem with Korean zoos is that they are poor interested in species and wildlife conservation. This is also revealed in the case of amur tigers in Korea. Descendants of Five Amur tigers brought to the Seoul Zoo in the 1980s are still on display at Korean zoos today through inbreeding. but most of all amur tigers in Korean zoos today are descendants of STB 1915 Volga, which has white bengal tiger genes. In addition, Map of the Amur tiger genome was produced using a male Amur tiger named 'Taeguk' in Everland, but I checked, Taegeuk was the great-grandson of STB 1915 Volga. So like the case of Maehwa, I think it could be a fairly complicated problem because hybrid were used to produce genome maps.
@dt644, thanks for your comments and the detailed family tree for Amur leopards Gangsan and Maehwa. Looking at the tree Gangsan had some genes from the Pyongyang Zoo pure-bred pair and Maehwa 2 links to the Leipzig Zoo pure-bred pair. But TBH the Amur leopard EEP these days tries to breed only from Amur leopards with less than 41% coefficient from Frankfurt\Center Hill No. 2 genetic input (they might have upped it more in th last decade, unsure) and has sought to increase the founder representation from the wild caught and pure-bred Amur leopard in the program. I would also be interested in your Amur tiger family tree!
The story of the Amur tiger at the Seoul Zoo is quite complicated. First of all, the number of Amur tigers at the Korean zoo after liberation from Japan was very small, with only three at the Korean zoo before the Seoul Zoo secured 5 amur tigers. In 1963, Changgyungwon purchased a male amur tiger named 'Bengari' from a circus from Taiwan, and in 1971, Dalseong Park in Daegu was donated a pair of tigers from Japan by a civic group, but they all failed to leave their descendants behind. When Seoul Grand Park opened in 1984, there were only Southern tigers from Changgyeongwon. However, the Seoul Zoo had a desire to have a "Korean tiger," and moreover, they had a strong desire to show Korean tigers to foreign tourists during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Therefore, the Korean government even attempted to secure the Amur tigers through the Soviet Union, which was a hostile relationship at the time, it was failed. Eventually, the Minnesota Korean Association and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Kyuk-ho donated the Amur tiger from the U.S. zoo to the Seoul Zoo. These are the ancestors of the many amur tigers in today's Korean zoos, and detailed information on them is as follows. Donated by Minnesota Korean Association STB 2786 ♂ STB 2498 ♀ Donated by Shin Kyuk-ho STB 2538 ♂ STB 2572 ♂ STB 2583 ♀ After getting this five Amur tigers, the zoo handed over the existing tigers to Everland and Dalseong Park and focused on breeding amur tiger. STB 2538 was named 'Hodori' at the Seoul Zoo, this name was same name as the tiger mascot for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Therefore, I think the Seoul Zoo would have especially cared for STB 2538, but this STB 2538's bloodline has caused a big problem. The Seoul Zoo increased the number of tigers by breeding the five tigers it had initially acquired and their descendants without bringing in additional Amur tigers or exchanging them with overseas zoos. So there was incest between the siblings, male STB 4660 and female STB 3621, which son and daughter of STB 2538 and STB 2583. And in 1999 and 2000, two white tiger female was born between STB 4660 and STB 3621. The name of the white tiger born in 1999 was 'Vera', and the name of the white tiger born in 2000 was 'Hite'. Seoul Zoo promoted them as 'White Amur Tigers' based on the fact that all of their amur tigers were registered in the Amur Tiger Studbook. And Vera was given a studbook number of STB 4662. (I don't know Hite's studbook number, but probably given it.) However, the correction eventually occurred, and the North American Regional Amer Tiger Studbook stated STB 1915, the mother of STB 2538, as a hybrid. Until now, all zoos in Korea have received Amur tigers from Seoul Zoo, but Everland was different. Everland imported three Amur tigers from an American zoo in 1987, and the information on the tigers it imported is as follows. STB 1992 ♀ STB 2888 ♀ STB 2961 ♂ Like the Seoul Zoo, Everland increased the number of Amur tigers with the inbreeding of those three and their descendants, the only male of which, STB 2961, was a problem. I checked at last year, STB 2961 was the nephew of STB 2538. Therefore, STB 2961 was the grandson of STB 1915. As I said earlier, Everland's Amur Tiger, STB 4746 'Taegeuk', was used to map the Amur Tiger genome. And, STB 4743 was the grandson of STB 2961, and great-grandson of STB 1915. It may not have been intended by Everland, but it was such a terrible coincidence. I posted this shocking story on my personal blog last year, and I also confirmed a few months ago that Everland had circulated my blog post to the company's internal mail. Maybe Everland was also embarrassed. To count the numbers of pure Amur tigers in Korean zoos, male 'Rostov,' and female 'Penza' donated by the Russian government in 2011, and male 'Joseph,' imported by Zilln Zoo in 2017. And including their cubs, there are a total of 11 pure amur tigers in korean zoos today. Everland brought in additional Amur tigers from China, probably they not have Studbook numbers. And the Korean public zoos still have the descendants of the first five tigers of the Seoul Zoo, all of them are closely family, so many of them has genetic diseases such as crossed-eyes. Since the Seoul Zoo recognized the hybrid and inbreed problems of the first five tigers, they has neutered all of the 5 tiger's descendants at the Seoul Zoo so that the descendants of the five tigers can no longer reproduce, but other zoos have not care about this problem. As mentioned earlier, almost all Korean zoos are insensitive to species conservation and inbreed problem.
It's been a long time, everyone. It's been a while since I've left a message here because I live like I'm busy. I'll tell about the most recent absurd incident at Seoul Zoo. On April 29, genetic screening revealed that two cuvier's dwarf caiman(Paleosuchus palpebrosus) at the Seoul Zoo were actually dwarf crocodiles(Osteolaemus tetraspis). They become Korea's only two official dwarf crocodiles. Seoul Zoo's 'Dwarf Crocodiles,' which has been believed to be 'Cuvier's dwarf Caiman.' I took this photo March 5, 2019. That two dwarf crocodiles are known to have come from Samut prakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo at Thailand, in 2007. From there, it seems that they may have mistaken the crocodile species. The 'Spectacled caiman' of the Jeonju Zoo, which has been believed to be Korea's only 'Dwarf crocodile' until 2020. I took this photos April 22, 2022. In 2020, Korea's only one dwarf crocodile at Jeonju Zoo was identified as spectacled caiman(Caiman crocodilus). But this time, it is the opposite happened. So many zoo enthusiasts in Korea are puzzled.
I couldn't come here often because I was busy, but I would like to inform here that a big tragedy has occurred at the Seoul Zoo. It's a one of the most bad news for the Seoul Zoo and the entire history of Korean Zoo. Yesterday, on September 30, an exclusive report by SBS News in Korea revealed that Seoul Zoo euthanized a total of 52 animals since last year, due to bovine tuberculosis occurring from the South American Pavilion. On last September 22, there was the last euthanasia in which 27 animals were died, and this euthanasia killed the South Korean zoo's last giant anteater, last American tapirs, and last collared peccaries. Many zoo enthusiasts around me are deeply sad that they cannot be seen anymore this three speices in Korea, but I hope that the sadness of this tragedy will not be concentrated only on them. I'll write down the victimized species and their numbers that have been released in the media. Please all zoo enthusiasts of Korea will remember all these victims, that's my hope. Three american tapirs. (Father, and two sons.) One giant anteater. Fifteen collered peccaries. Six capybaras. Ten llamas. Five guanacos. Three patagonian maras. The incident killed all animals in the outdoor exhibit of the Seoul Zoo's South American Pavilion, and the South American Pavilion was closed until August next year. Seoul Zoo announced that South American Pavilion will be closed due to 'internal construction', but this was the real reason of close. This incident makes my thinking complicated. But right now, I just hope the damage doesn't get worse now.
Thats realy bad news but because most of these species are very or quite common in western zoos, I hope some ( western ) zoos will show solidarity with Seoul Zoo and send them replacement animals.
Thanks for the your comments, but I don't want this damage to be recovered simply by "bringing in new animals." There is a Cougar-Jaguar enclosure near the Seoul Zoo's Beasts of Prey Pavilion, That is very old and narrow cage. To be honest, it cannot be thought of as an animal enclosure of the Seoul Zoo. As everyone knows, cougar and jaguar are also South American animals. If this situation calms down, I hope that the empty outdoor exhibit of the South American pavilion will be renovated and become a exhibit for them. Of course, many people may wait for the damage to the missing species to be restored, or expect to bring new species. However, the priority will have to be the animal at the Seoul Zoo now. Looking at the history from the opening of the Seoul Zoo in 1984 to the present, it is worrisome that bring new animals in will just be "Crosses grow on South American Pavilion." I hope the Seoul Zoo makes the best choice for now and future's their captive animals.
Sakura (born 1965), the female elephant who was the oldest elephant in Korea, was passed away on Feb. 13 in Korean time. She was sold to Takarazuka Family Land in Japan from Thailand at the age of 7 month as the adoptive daughter of Mary, an elephant who lost her husband and child, and came to Seoul Zoo in 2003 when Takarazuka Family Land closed. Originally, She came in as a mate of male asian elephant Giant, who was the first elephant in the Korean zoo, but she had a deep connection with the last African elephant, male Rika, in Korea, not Giant. But Rika died of gum disease on March 12, 2008, and Giant died of arthritis on March 8 the following year. Seoul Grand Park's News Magazine, HanDongSan vol 25. P. 114 Despite being the oldest, she was not treated as the leader female by other two adult female elephants, Kima and Sugela, Maybe because she never experienced childbirth and lived alone for a long time. But she must have been a good grandmother to Seoul Zoo's youngest elephant, Huimang, the daughter of Sugela. May she will now rest in peace after living an her eventful life. And Ko-soon at Dalseong Park Zoo, now who succeeded Sakura as the oldest elephant in Korea. I hope that will change the most poor environment in Korea, where Ko-soon has lived for 52 years, and her life.
