Rare species spotted

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Endangered wild animals, such as the marten and the owl, which are rarely seen, have been captured on camera in national parks across the country.

Footage of them hunting and spending the winter has been recorded.

Let's take a look together.

Kim Se-hyun reports.

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The marten, with its slender body and attractive black fur on its head, legs, and tail.

A family of three martens is seen running through the snowy field.

They hunt a water deer that is more than five times their weight and hide a captured mole in a tree.

Despite their small and cute appearance, they are the top predators in South Korea.

[Kim Ui-kyung/Researcher, National Park Research Institute: "As large carnivorous animals like tigers have disappeared, martens, which are smaller in size, are now seen as top predators in the country because they can hunt in groups."]

In the dead of night, their eyes gleam and then they vanish in an instant.

The ural owl is seen hunting a flying squirrel, capturing a rare moment as both animals are endangered species.

The camera also captured scenes of them asserting their territory.

Two male water deer clash their antlers in a fight.

A raccoon comes to the spot where a leopard cat has left its droppings and rubs its body vigorously against the ground.

[Kim Ui-kyung/Researcher, National Park Research Institute: "It seems that the raccoon, which has a similar ecological standing, is rubbing its body to erase the scent left by the leopard cat. The water deer, on the other hand, is wary of that scent and is moving away..."]

In addition, over 280 species of endangered animals and more than 23,000 species of various creatures are spending the winter in their own unique ways in national parks.

The Korea National Park Service stated that this footage is valuable data for observing endangered species and wildlife, and they will strive to maintain a healthy natural ecosystem.

This is KBS News Kim Se-hyun.