Oriental stork dies during bird-release ceremony in S. Korea, prompting accusations of animal cruelty

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Oriental storks are classified as an endangered species by both South Koreas Ministry of Environment and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Fewer than 3,000 of the birds are believed to remain in the wild worldwide.

PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Gimhae City came under fire after an Oriental stork died during a bird-release event held last week to celebrate the opening of the city’s new museum, according to news reports on Oct 20.

The dead stork was one of three that were confined for about an hour and 40 minutes in wooden box-like cages roughly 30cm to 40cm wide before being released, following speeches by the mayor, lawmakers and others, during the opening ceremony of the Hwapocheon Wetland Science Museum held on Oct 15 in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province.

Two female Oriental storks reportedly flew off normally, but the male failed to take flight, stumbled and fell to the ground. Staff on site quickly moved the bird to an aviary for emergency care, but it eventually died.

Hwapocheon Wetland, which was added to the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance earlier this year, is the nation’s largest riverine wetland, home to more than 800 species of wildlife, including 24 endangered species.

The bird-release ceremony was held to mark the opening of the museum, established to highlight the wetland’s ecology and promote nature conservation.

Environmental groups argued that the stork died from prolonged exposure to a humid,