Korea’s zoo elephants to get a little less lonesome

The male elephant donated by Cambodia to Korea. He and a female partner arrive by an Air Force C-130 cargo plane tonight. [YONHAP]

July 08, 2010
By Kang Chan-ho [mijukim@joongang.co.kr]
JoongAng Daily

Like its general population, Korea’s elephants are getting older and not reproducing enough to replenish their ranks.

In the Seoul Zoo, Taesan, a 34-year old male, lives the lonely life of a widower after his mate Taesun died of colitis 14 years ago. Of the 11 elephants in six zoos across the country, five are females past childbearing age.

The idea that the nation’s kids might never see a live elephant distressed Wu Si-eon, former head of the Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Management Corporation, which oversees Seoul’s zoos. Last May, Wu decided to buy a female to mate with Taesan from an elephant-rich country.

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