🐅🌿 Where Are the Wild Things? A Journey from Indian Jungles to Korean Mountains.
When I first arrived in South Korea, I was mesmerized. Towering mountains embraced every city, temple bells echoed in the distance, and cherry blossoms painted the spring skies. But after a few weeks of hiking and exploring the countryside, something struck me:
🇮🇳 India: A Symphony of Species
India is a biodiversity superpower. From snow leopards prowling in Ladakh to elephants bathing in Kerala’s backwaters, the subcontinent is home to more than 90,000 species of animals and over 45,000 species of plants.
Why so rich?
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Geographical Variety:India hosts almost every type of ecosystem—deserts, forests, mangroves, grasslands, the Himalayas, and a 7,000+ km coastline. Each region supports its own unique fauna.
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Tropical Climate:Warm, moist climates are ideal for life to thrive. Monsoons rejuvenate forests, rivers swell with fish, and everything from insects to tigers bursts into activity.
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Cultural Reverence for Nature:From sacred groves to cow protection, Indian traditions often hold animals in divine regard. Even the cobra gets a festival day!
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Protected Areas:India has over 100 national parks and nearly 600 wildlife sanctuaries, home to iconic species like the Bengal tiger and Indian rhinoceros.
I still remember my trips to Jim Corbett or Kaziranga—binoculars in hand, my heart racing at the sound of a rustle in the grass. India’s wild world is not just alive, it’s loud.
🇰🇷 South Korea: Mountains Without Roars
Now let’s zoom into South Korea. Don’t get me wrong—the natural beauty here is breathtaking. Verdant mountains, pristine coastlines, and forest trails are everywhere. But the silence of the wild is hard to ignore.
Here’s why:
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Geography and Size:Korea is smaller—about 1/6th the size of India—and heavily mountainous. There’s limited flat land to support diverse ecosystems. Urbanization has crept up to the foothills.
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Climate Constraints:Korea has a temperate climate, with bitterly cold winters. This limits the diversity and population of warm-blooded animals.
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Historical Impact:Decades of war and colonization (especially the Korean War) devastated local wildlife. Many native species like the Siberian tiger were hunted to extinction.
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Limited Protected Areas:Korea has fewer national parks compared to India, and most are managed more for hiking and tourism than for wildlife conservation.
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Urban Dominance:Over 80% of South Korea’s population lives in urban areas. Cities are dense, and the countryside is often tamed into agricultural lands or managed forests.
Even in places like Seoraksan or Jirisan National Park, the fauna is mostly limited to deer, wild boars, squirrels, and birds. And even those are rarely seen.
🐾 What It Feels Like, Personally
Living in Korea has been peaceful, orderly, and clean—but sometimes, I miss the chaos of nature back home. I miss hearing a peacock cry in the distance, or seeing a langur perched on a temple wall. That unpredictable wildness of India—the sudden sight of a cobra on a village path, or a mongoose darting across the road—makes you feel alive.
But Korea has its own charm too. Nature here whispers instead of roaring. It invites you to slow down, to notice the small: a dragonfly resting on a lotus leaf, a magpie calling from a pine tree, or a squirrel nibbling on a ginkgo nut.
🌏 Lessons from Both Worlds
From this contrast, I've learned that biodiversity isn’t just about biology—it's about history, culture, geography, and how a society chooses to coexist with nature. India may overwhelm you with life, while Korea soothes you with serenity. Both are beautiful in their own right.
But as we face a future where wild spaces are shrinking everywhere, perhaps India can learn from Korea’s discipline in preserving green spaces, and Korea can rekindle its wild spirit by reintroducing and protecting native species.
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