Whooper swan that stayed alone in Gyeongpocheon dies

Whooper swan that stayed alone in Gyeongpocheon dies: Heritage / 연합뉴스 / 2022-04-26 11:35:33

▲ This photo, shows the whooper swan that stayed alone in Gyeonpocheon and died. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Apr. 26 (Yonhap) -- It has been conveyed that the migratory bird whooper swan, a natural monument and endangered wild animal that stayed in Gyeongpocheon, Gangneung has been found dead before it went to the North.

Swans including whooper swans usually go back to the North at the end of February or at the beginning of March, after spending winter in South Korea.

However, a whooper swan was seen alone in Gyeongpocheon.

On March 15th last year, a swan family who returned back to hometown visited Gyeongpocheon. Yet, the whooper swan stayed alone for more than a month even after the swan family left the next day.

The whooper swan was relatively active, putting its head in the water and digging up grass roots. However, as spring blended into early summer, it spent most of its time sitting on the isle of reeds.

Due to its narrow range of activity, it was usually seen around 20-30m around its range and was only sometimes seen in a place with more than 100m away.

While it was presumed to have been injured, there were no noticeable injuries in its wings or legs that resisted it to fly.

However, it has been confirmed that the whooper swan died, without being able to go back to its hometown.

An environmentalist working around the Gyeongpoho lake has announced that it has found the whooper swan dead with a big scar around its neck.

It has been thought that the whooper swan, whose movement has slowed significantly as the weather became warmer, died from being bitten by leopard cats or seals, the top predators in the area.

"Although I did think that it had an injury around its neck, because it was actively catching its food, I hoped that it would be able to fly back home safely. But unfortunately, it was found wounded and dead," the official continued.

Gyeonpocheon, where the whooper swan lived is only 30-50m wide, and is a place where may citizens jog and exercise.

Last winter, in Namdaecheon stream, a whooper swan who came with 10 other swans was also seen staying and catching food alone and was found dead a few days later.