Gyeonggi Province has launched construction of the "Northern Gyeonggi Wildlife Ecology Observatory" to facilitate systematic return of wild animals to nature and provide ecological education for residents.
The provincial government announced Monday that it has begun basic and detailed design work for the ecology observatory on a 14,852-square-meter site adjacent to the Northern Wildlife Rescue Management Center in Jeonkok-eup, Yeoncheon County. The key objective is to expand the center's existing rescue and treatment functions to include rehabilitation and education.
The province is focusing on establishing a systematic rehabilitation system that connects rescue operations to return-to-nature programs in response to increasing demand for wildlife rescue services. The plan aims to improve return-to-nature rates by creating rehabilitation training environments that reflect the behavioral characteristics of wild animals.
Ecological education functions will also be significantly strengthened. The initiative will expand existing indoor programs to outdoor ecological spaces, introducing an open education model while enabling visitors to experience firsthand the value of coexistence between wildlife and humans.
The first phase of the project will receive 5.1 billion won in combined national and provincial funding. The total project budget is approximately 7.3 billion won. Experts from various fields including wildlife biology, environment, architecture, geotechnical engineering, and telecommunications will participate from the design stage to optimize the wildlife rehabilitation environment and public education spaces.
"The construction of the ecology observatory marks a turning point in expanding and strengthening the Wildlife Rescue Management Center's functions to include rehabilitation and education," said Jeong Bong-su, head of the Animal Welfare Division at Gyeonggi Province. "We will do our best to ensure residents can experience the value of ecological conservation."
