YELLOW-THROATED MARTENS SPOTTED

[Anchor Lead]

The endangered yellow-throated marten, which used to be found in national parks, have been spotted in urban area mountains in Miryang and Changwon. Since the marten is an apex predator and ecosystem engineer in the forest ecosystem, experts say marten protection measures must be designed through habitation studies.

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Chuhwasan Mountain in the city of Miryang, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. It stands 150-meter tall. In the mountain located behind the Miryang Cultural Center, a marten with a wide yellow band around its neck is seen scampering on the leaf-covered ground searching for food. It was captured on an eco surveillance camera last month. The marten, belonging to the same family as the weasel, with a similar body shape and tail size, is a class 2 endangered species designated by the Ministry of Environment. Another marten was spotted in Cheongryangsan Mountain in Changwon last April. It is quite unusual that the marten which used to live deep in the mountains of the Jirisan National Park or the Baekdudaegan mountain range are now discovered near city centers.

[Soundbite] Bae Jae-heung(Wildlife Photographer) : "Martens have been spotted in Mt. Jaeyaksan and the Baekdudaegan Mountain Range. But it’s amazing that they were spotted near residential areas."

Ecologists believe that an increase in the number of martens has caused them to expand their habitats. They point out since the marten is an apex predator and ecosystem engineer in the forest ecosystem, marten protection measures must be designed through habitation studies.

[Soundbite] Choi Tae-young(National Institute of Ecology) : "When you report a precise location, that tip is used to make an ecological resources map or to protect an endangered species’ habitat."

The Restoration Center for Endangered Species under the National Institute of Ecology is receiving tips in order to study wildlife habitats. The center has discovered 51 new habitats of mountain goats and other wild creatures last year.