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A preliminary assessment of the wildlife trade in
badgers (Meles leucurus and Arctonyx spp.) (Carnivora:
Mustelidae) in South Korea
Journal
Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity Available online 3 April 2023
Authors
Joshua Elves-Powell (a b c d), Xavier Neo (b c e), See
Park (e), osie Woodruffe (a), Hang Lee (d), Jan C Axmacher (b f) Sarah M
Durant (a). a Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London,
London, UK b Department of Geography, University College London,
London, UK c Korean Carnivore Project, London, UK d College of
Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
e Centre for Urban Science and Progress, New York University, New
York, USA f Faculty of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Agricultural
University of Iceland, Keldnaholt, Iceland
Abstract
We provide a preliminary assessment of a previously
overlooked wildlife trade, the legal trade in badgers (Meles leucurus and
Arctonyx spp.) and badger-derived products in South Korea. A new phase of
the trade emerged in the 1990s with the establishment of wildlife farms to
supply demand for badger as an edible and medicinal resource, including as
a substitute for Asiatic black bear (Ursus
thibetanus), a
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES) Appendix I species. We trace the continued existence of
badger farms to
supply trade between 2001 and 2020, supplemented by imported
badger-derived products and some apparent illegal harvesting of wild Meles
leucurus in South Korea. The range of badger-derived products available to
consumers has diversified during the last two decades and now encompasses
human food, traditional medicine, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and
accessories. We recommend improved monitoring and regulation of the trade,
given that legal farming, and potential illegal wild harvest, may present
important risks to: (i) wild Meles leucurus populations in South Korea and
Arctonyx spp. populations in Asia, which are currently poorly monitored;
(ii) the welfare of traded badgers, as territorial mammals with specific
social and housing needs; (iii) human health, with
mustelid farms now in greater focus as potential sources of novel
zoonotic diseases.
Keywords
mustelid Republic of Korea small carnivore trade
wildlife farming zoonotic diseases
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