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January 02, 2005
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| The Environment Ministry is planning to allow people to hunt down wild boars that are damaging gravesites. In Korea, wild-animal hunting has so far only been allowed if beasts were found to be damaging crops or threatening farm animals and human life. The ministry said yesterday that wild boars have been damaging ancestral tombs in mountains while seeking prey such as moles and wild rats. Food left behind at the graves after the performance of ancestral rites is another lure that has attracted the boars to dig up tombs. The ministry will make an official announcement on boar hunting on Wednesday. Would-be boar hunters should contact local mayors or municipal administrators for permission and get help from nearby hunting associations to capture the animals. The ministry had previously designated six wild animals as harmful, including sparrows and Korean magpies, and released hunting permits. These animals cause 18 billion won ($17.4 million) worth of crop damage per year. by Kang Chan-su |
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