Sri Lankais donating 153 rare or endangered animals to Korea, including a pair of
elephants, golden snub-nosed monkeys, jaguars and alligators, to thank a
nongovernmental organization that helps Sri Lankan laborers.
According to Kim Hae-sung, founder of an NGO called the GlobalLoveSharingCenter, SeoulGrandParkhad asked Sri Lankato donate 14 species close to extinction and was surprised by the country’s
reaction.
“Sri Lanka’s
government said it was able to provide 40 species, including jaguars and alligators,”
said Kim. “After mediation, a total of 153 animals were chosen to be given to Korea.”
These animals are literally priceless because trading in endangered species,
especially elephants, is prohibited.
“For the last 20 years, the number of animals in national zoos declined from
4,000 to 3,000,” Kim said, “but it’s hard to purchase animals because of
international law.” Therefore, Sri
Lanka’s gift of so many animals is not only
generous, but also a sign of good diplomatic ties.
According to Kim, an official from SeoulGrandParksaid: “I was going to bring in those animals even if I had to go to jail. I’m
so glad I don’t have to.” In fact, the gift wouldn’t have been possible without
Kim and the work of his NGO.
joongangdaily
Disclaimer: All the comments will be moderated by the AD editorial. Abstain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or slanderous. Please avoid outside hyperlinks inside the comment and avoid typing all capitalized comments. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by flagging them(mouse over a comment and click the flag icon on the right side). Do use these forums to voice your opinions and create healthy discourse.