[World Animal Day] Diverse Wildlife Coexists with PNU

The sun rises up on Geumjeong Mountain, and the campus is full of vitality. Brown-eared bulbul, flycatchers, and woodpeckers sing along, and squirrels and weasels run across the grass. At night, hidden otters and raccoons cross the campus to find prey.

Pusan National University (PNU) Busan Campus, located at the foot of GeumJung Mountain, is well-known as a place where diverse animals inhabit thanks to the harmonious nature. In GeumJung Mountain, 51 species of birds and 14 species of mammals live, and natural monuments such as kestrels and otter and endangered species, including leopard cats and accipiter nisus, exist. In 2020, a marten was found, and it attracted attention. “Channel PNU” looked around the Busan campus to meet various kinds of animals that coexist with students for a month, from October 1st, celebrating “World Animal Day” on October 4th. 

The animals that were mostly seen were birds. Woodpeckers and flycatchers can be found on the top of PNU, where the dormitories such as Woongbee Hall and Jilli Hall are located. Around the University Headquarters of PNU and Mirinae Valley, brown-eared bulbuls and titmouses were discovered. These birds have seemed to find their prey in persimmon trees and nut pines or are used to eating cat food left for the cats at PNU.

Especially the scene in which large amounts of birds flock and eat prey could be observed. According to the University Headquarters of PNU, there are about 23 species of birds living in Mirinae Valley, which is about half of the birds that can be found throughout Geumjeong Mountain. In Mirinea Valley, which is an Ecology Protected Area designated for the first time among domestic universities, migratory birds that live in the South during the winter season, including resident birds, sometimes can be detected.

Mammals coming to Geumjeong Mountain were found around the campus. Up the trees from Mirinae to Construction Hall, squirrels were running across, and weasels were seen at the Jayoo Hall. Students told stories about encountering elks and raccoons that went down to get their prey in spring. Kim Jung-Eun (Dept. of Electronics Engineering, 21) said, “I saw a weasel that was jumping around the drain near the cafeteria at Jayoo Hall. I felt surprised because I heard that the weasel was concerned as hunter, but its size was a bit small and tiny.”

Recently, on the PNU anonymous community, “Everytime,” the stories about students detecting otters, which is a natural monument, went viral. They argued that otters were down from Geumjeong Mountain to prey on carp. Regarding the Survey of Natural Environment announced by Busan Metropolitan City Hall in 2015, it said that the valley inside Geumjeong Mountain was a habitat of otters. The staff in the Environmental Policy Division of Busan Metropolitan City Hall said, “As Guemjung Mountain forms an excellent ecosystem, rare wildlife can be discovered inside the campus. When it comes to priority species, you are not supposed to approach them and need to explore from a distance. That’s the way to protect the environment.”

However, students carefully need to be alert to the wildlife, such as wild boars, stray dogs, and snakes that can possibly attack. According to Busan Wildlife Association, the number of wild boars inhabiting Geumjeong Mountain is expected to be about 400. Jung Yoon-Yong (Official, Office of Planning and Finance) said, “Some students reported a wild boar that suddenly appeared on the campus back in the day, but these kinds of incidents rarely happen these days. When you see aggressive wildlife, you must report quickly so that we can take actions, such as capture and release of the wildlife.”

Reporter Jo Seung-Wan

Translated by Park Yeon-Hee