Stagnant Water Rots and Oxygen Drops... 'Endangered' Amphibians Begin Mass Mortality

[Anchor]

As the southern regions of South Korea dry up severely, amphibians such as toads are experiencing mass die-offs in Busan. Experts warn that even the endangered Gori salamander is no exception.

KNN reporter Choi Han-sol visited the site.

[Reporter]

This is near Geumgang Park in Busan, which belongs to Geumaksan National Park.

Where puddles once stood, the water has dried up, leaving thick patches of grass.

In a puddle covered with a waterproof tarp—a habitat for the endangered Gori salamander—the water level has dropped by about half.

Due to a lack of water circulation, the remaining water has turned black and rotted.

Gori salamander larvae repeatedly surface and submerge.

It is their final struggle to breathe as oxygen levels in the water plummet.

Some fail to endure and float to the surface dead.

[Kim Hap-su / Ecology Expert: They breathe through external gills underwater. Therefore, it is rare for them to surface. They only come out of the water to breathe when the water is polluted or when dissolved oxygen is extremely scarce.]

They are supposed to breathe out of the water only after reaching adulthood, but with the water drying up, mass mortality has begun.

Due to the severe drought and the resulting lack of oxygen in the water, traces of dead larvae are now being found everywhere here in the Geumaksan area, known as the largest habitat for Gori salamanders.

We also visited Sasong in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, another amphibian habitat nestled along the foothills of Mount Geumaksan.

As the surrounding areas dry up completely, salamanders and toads are gathering in drainage ditches. However, because of the depth of the ditches, once they enter they cannot escape, and they are dying inside under the intense sunlight.

Experts point out that if the drought continues, urgent measures must be considered, such as relocating part of the population or supplying water.

(Video by Hwang Tae-cheol / KNN)

Choi Han-sol of KNN