Hobbies And Interests
Blue Whale
Blue whales are an endangered animal species in the waters off of North Korea. They hold the title of the largest animals to have ever lived on Earth. These giants of the ocean can measure as long as 100 ft. and weigh more than 200 tons. Their diet is consists of tiny shrimplike creatures called krill. Blue whales live in all the oceans of the world and are also one of the Earth's longest living mammals with an average lifespan of 80 to 90 years. Aggressive hunting practices by whalers in the 1900s drove them to the brink of extinction. They came under the protection of the International Whaling Commission in 1966, but are still on the endangered species list today.
Siberian Tiger
Siberian tigers are the world's largest cats. They are primarily found in Russia, but there are a few that live in the wild of China and North Korea. They are admired for their great strength and power as well as for their beauty. Siberian tigers are aggressive hunters and can travel great distances to find prey. Hunting and deforestation has killed off hundreds of thousands of the world's tigers including the Siberian. Poachers hunt tigers as trophies and others use their body parts for medicinal purposes. Siberian tigers are classified as endangered, with only about 500 to 700 existing today.
Asiatic Black Bear
The Asiatic black bear is also called "moon bear" because of the white crescent shaped mark on its chest. It prefers to live in the forests of temperate or tropical woodlands in areas with heavy brush cover. This bear's diet consists primarily of fruits, nuts and insects; although it is also carnivorous. It is listed as endangered in Korea and is threatened by the destruction of its natural habitat and by hunting. It is hunted for its skin, paws and gall bladder.
Mandarin Duck
The male Mandarin duck is considered by many to be the most beautiful of all ducks. It has distinctly colored feathers and an iridescent crown. The females are less colorful. These birds originated in China, but can live anywhere there are woodlands, water and many trees for nesting. Their fall migration includes North Korea. The large scale destruction of its natural habitat as well as exportation across Asia has caused this bird to become endangered.