This zoo claims to be one of the ten largest zoos in the world...2.4 million square meters (2,400 square km?). The current zoo opened in 1984 replacing an older facility that was Korea's first zoo. Seoul Grand Park Zoo Map: http://grandpark.seoul.go.kr/images/event/eng_map.jpg
Most of the zoo's Amur Tigers are now registered in the international studbook. INSIDE JoongAng Daily
the zoo just recieved two elephants from Cambodia, a 20 year old bull and a 27 year old cow. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2922901 However from what I've seen in pictures the exhibit is awfully small, does anyone know if the exhibit has been expanded or a new one is being proposed?
The map shows 'sea leopards' in the ocean hall section.... Do they have Leopard Seals??? Edit - seems they are likely just harbour seals.....oh well!
and now a further two are coming to South Korea from Sri Lanka: Two more tuskers donated to korea - Elephant News
2.4million square metres is 2.4 square kilometres. Which in turn is 240 hectares or about 600 acres. Big, especially for an urban zoo, but not that massive.
I'm not sure if the two Sri Lankan elephants are going to the zoo or not, the article I posted was phrased rather ambiguously: "Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has offered a pair of five-year-old elephants, one female and one male, to the Global Love Sharing Center, a Seoul-based civic group"
The CGP zoo is in the latter stages of importing 1.1 African elephants, from Africa (country unknown), the animals are 3 and 5 years old, and is costing the zoo almost $250'000. http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20101205000266
I would assume they maintain both Asiatic and African elephants in separate exhibits? I do have some concern over mixing Sri Lankan and mainland elephants as it is ad-mixing 2 different ESU's. The Sri Lankan ssp. is more endangered. (similar qualms exist over any other breeding programme where Sri Lankan elephants are mixed with other Asiatic elephant ssp.'s)
If I am correct both have recently had either an addition (rhino) or are planning to (gorilla) to stimulate / promote breeding. Can someone update on the situations with both gorillas and white rhinos at Seoul Zoo?
Does anyone have any information on the four elephants the Seoul Grand Park Zoo received in November 1983 from the United States? I assume they were Africans but have learned the country no longer has this species. In 1997, they still had 2.2 Africans and 3.1 Asians but I do not know if those four Africans were the same as the 1983 shipment. I believe the 1983 shipment of 400 animals was for the grand opening of the zoo. I would like to identify the elephants for my records since they came from the US. They may have been fresh imports or possibly from a zoo on exhibit.