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Recently, there have been a number of cases in which exotic animals that cannot be found in Korea have been abandoned in local rivers or grassy forests.

Last 10 days Reptile · On the YouTube channel 'Jungbre' specializing in rare animals, a video was posted titled, "It's serious, if a wolf turtle caught in a river in my country is this big, isn't it news?"

In the video, Junbre said, "A subscriber who was fishing gave me a report that he had encountered a wolf turtle, which is an ecological disturbance," and inspected the wolf turtles captured by the subscriber and the places where they were captured.

"I've never seen a wolf turtle this big," said Junbre, who examined the wolf turtle, which weighed more than 10 kilograms, and headed to the stream where it was found, "It's a very good environment for wolf turtles to live in."

"Wolf turtles burrow deep into the ground near the water's edge to spawn," he said, inspecting a stream with dense grass, "If there is a wolf turtle in a place like this, it becomes an apex predator. No one can kill or harass a wolf turtle."

In addition, Jeongbr revealed that he received videos from subscribers of very large wolf turtles walking in Seoul's Bulgwangcheon during the flooding period, and small wolf turtles believed to have bred walking in the rivers of Jeju Island.

"Overseas, accidents such as cutting off toes due to wolf turtles and crocodile turtles sometimes occur," Zhengbr warned, "and even if you actually find them, don't get close to them."

Still, he said, "I was once a beloved creature and I must have had a family, but it's a pity," and emphasized, "You can't let it go like this just because it's hard to raise."

Later, the captured wolf turtles were handed over through the Environmental Policy Division of the City Hall and the Ecological Disturbance Elimination Team, and the official in the video said, "Originally, in the case of ecological disturbance species, it is necessary to dispose of them, but there is a possibility that they will be saved because an exhibition related to ecological disturbance species is scheduled."

Wolf turtles, which are native to North America, were very small at less than 10 cm when they were cubs, so they were popular as cute pets, but when they grow up, they grow up to 50 cm in size, making it difficult to keep them at home, so they have been found to be abandoned in rivers.


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On the other hand, it is not difficult to find exotic species such as wolf turtles found in domestic rivers.

On March 3, a YouTube channel specializing in birdwatching, "Birds of Love," also posted a message that asked, "Why are these birds here? Giant Australian birds that have appeared in our country out of nowhere."

The video shows three black swans with red beaks and black feathers feeding in a river near the coast of Seogwipo City.

However, black swans are not migratory birds and do not migrate far as they are a native Australian species.

In the case of black swans found in Jeju, they also have a friendly aspect, such as approaching people when they come closer, so it was assumed that they were individuals that someone raised or escaped.

Recently, African snakes have been found in Jeju, and the invasive species of flower deer are increasing in population in Halla Mountain, and the number of invasive species is increasing day by day.

Article 18 of the Biological Diversity Act stipulates that no one shall release disturbed organisms or organisms of concern to the ecosystem into the ecosystem, and violators shall be punished with imprisonment for up to two years or a fine of up to 24 million won.

(Photo = YouTube 'Jungb', 'Saeduk Hoo')