The National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR) said it analyzed genetic diversity of the Asiatic black bears which were introduced from Russia and North Korea to Jirisan for the restoration project and found that they are healthy genetically.

In an attempt to restore the endangered wild population of Asiatic black bears in Jirisan, the Ministry of Environment had introduced 27 Asiatic black bears from Russia and North Korea since 2004.

Analyzing diversity of mitochondria genes of 38 Asiatic black bears including 24 ones, restored in Jirisan, NIBR confirmed that the population of North Korea and Russia forms one group, definitely distinguished from those from Southeast Asia and Japan.

It confirms that the Russian individuals and the North Korean ones belong to the same blood, suggesting the fact that introduction of Russan individuals to Jirian for preserving blood of Asiatic black bears of the Korean Peninsula was a proper action. Individuals introduced to Jirisan showed similar or better genetic diversity compared with that of other regions Asiatic black bears, meaning that the restored black bears are healthy genetically.

It is concluded that introducing the black bears from both Russia and North Korea contributed to raising genetic diversity of the population in Jirisan. The result of the analysis is published in the March issue of the Journal of Heredity, an official scientific journal of the American Genetic Association.

source: apec-vc Korea