What animals are North Koreans eating to survive?

North Koreans are eating endangered wildlife like badgers, tigers, bears, otters, deer, and the long-tailed goral to survive.

How did the collapse of North Korea's government lead to the wildlife trade?

The collapse of North Korea's communist government's food distribution system in the 1990s led to a devastating famine, forcing people to turn to a thriving black market trade in wildlife products for food, medicine, and other basic needs.

What impact is the North Korean wildlife trade having on the Siberian tiger population?

The illegal trade of Siberian tigers and Amur leopards, which can cross the border from China, is threatening to undermine China's efforts to restore the Siberian tiger population in its northeastern provinces.

Home / Environment / North Korea's Starving Population Turns to Eating Endangered Wildlife

North Korea's Starving Population Turns to Eating Endangered Wildlife

7 Oct

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Summary

North Koreans resorting to eating badgers, tigers, and other wild animals
Endangered species like Siberian tigers and Amur leopards being hunted
Illegal wildlife trade across border to China emerging due to economic collapse

North Korea's Starving Population Turns to Eating Endangered Wildlife

According to a study conducted by British and Norwegian scientists, North Korea's population has been forced to turn to eating endangered wildlife like badgers and tigers to survive. The study, published in the journal Biological Conservation, reveals that the collapse of the communist government's state distribution system in the late 1990s, which led to a devastating famine, has driven a thriving black market trade in wildlife products.

Researchers interviewed 42 North Korean defectors and found that almost every mammal species larger than a hedgehog is being captured for food, skins, furs, and traditional medicine. This includes highly protected species like the Siberian tiger and Amur leopard, which are believed to have crossed the border from China. The illegal wildlife trade has threatened to undermine China's efforts to restore the Siberian tiger population in its northeastern provinces.

The researchers warn that the unsustainable exploitation of wildlife in North Korea poses a serious risk, potentially leading to the extinction of key species and the depletion of the country's natural landscapes. With North Korea not being a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the situation remains a major concern for conservationists.

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