The Ministry of Environment (Minister Han Wha-jin) and the National Institute of Ecology (Director Cho Do-soon) announced that they will release 200 level-2 endangered wild dung beetles in the Sin-duri Coastal Dune, Taean County, South Chungcheong Province, in the afternoon of September 13th.

In addition to related organizations such as Geum River Basin Environmental Office, Taean County, Korea National Park Service, and Cultural Heritage Administration, residents and students of Mohang Elementary School in Taean County will also participate in this release event. 

The dung beetle, which used to inhabit the entire Korean Peninsula, including Jeju Island, is currently presumed to be extinct due to a rapid decline in population in the 1960s and 1970s. This decline was caused by factors such as the excessive use of anthelmintics and pesticides, the transition from free-range farming to factory farming in the livestock industry, and the widespread use of agricultural machinery.

Since 2019, the National Institute of Ecology has been introducing the original species of dung beetles from Mongolia. The institute has been conducting basic ecological research such as studying their habitats, analyzing their diet sources, and determining the optimal breeding conditions. It has also been developing artificial breeding technologies and conducting research on the adaptability of the beetles to the wild. In addition, the institute has prepared a manual for artificial breeding guidance. As a result, the National Institute of Ecology has successfully bred 200 dung beetles and will release them into the domestic natural environment for the first time. The purpose of this release is to observe and whether these dung beetles can establish themselves in the actual ecosystem.

The release site, Sin-duri Coastal Dune, currently practices free-range grazing of Korean cattle, and it is composed of sandy soil that is favorable for dung beetle breeding. 

If the released dung beetles utilize the feces of Korean cattle for their growth and decompose the feces in the process, it will not only reduce pollution and improve soil quality, but also help decrease the emission of greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4). Through this process, we can witness the typical behavior of dung beetles, which involves removing cattle dung in an environmentally friendly manner.

Ahn Se-chang, the Director of the Natural Conservation Bureau at the Ministry of Environment, stated, "We aim to enhance breeding technologies and improve habitat conditions so that future generations will be able to easily observe dung beetles in the ecosystem, which had previously been limited to textbook illustrations or Fabre's Book of Insects." He added, "We will do our utmost to gradually restore critically endangered species such as the long-horned beetle and the spotted salamander, in order to conserve biodiversity and create a foundation for coexistence between endangered wildlife and humans."

Contact: Kwon Min-hyuck, Deputy Director

Biodiversity Division / +82-(0)44-201-7242