'Will we get to see a scene of rolling poop?' Scarabs returns after 50 years of disappearance

The critically endangered Scarabs(Gymnopleurus mopsus) has returned after half a century.

The Ministry of Environment and the National Institute of Ecology announced on the 13th that they released 200 endangered wild species class Ⅱ Scarabs in the Coastal Dune of Sinduri, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do.

The release event involved various related organizations, including the Geum River Basin Environmental Office, Taean-gun, Korea National Park Service, and Cultural Heritage Administration, as well as students and residents from Mohang Elementary School in Taean-gun.

Scarabs are coprophagy insects that feed on the excrement of large herbivorous animals such as cows, horses, and sheep. In the past, they were easily found throughout the Korean Peninsula, including Jeju Island. However, between the 1960s and 1970s, their population sharply declined, and it is currently estimated that they have become extinct in the wild. The causes of their extinction are attributed to changes in livestock farming environment from grazing to factory farming, the use of compound feed containing additives like antibiotics and preservatives, overuse of anthelmintics and pesticides, and habitat pollution.

Accordingly, the National Institute of Ecology has been working on the introduction of the original species of Scarabs from Mongolia since 2019. They have continued to develop artificial breeding technologies, conduct basic ecological research, determine optimal breeding conditions, and prepare guidelines for artificial breeding and research on its adaptability to the wild. As a result, 200 Scarabs were able to be multiplied and released into the natural environment in South Korea for the first time.

The researchers plan to confirm whether the released Scarabs can live in the actual ecosystem.

The Sinduri Coastal Dune, which are the target area of release, is currently used for grazing Korean cattle and consists of sandy soil that is favorable for Scarabs breeding.

The researchers are hopeful that the released Scarabs, by utilizing the feces from Korean cattle for their growth and decomposing the feces in the process, they will not only reduce pollutants and improve soil quality, but also reduce the greenhouse gas emissions such as methane. It is expected that we will be able to observe the typical scene of rolling cow dung, which is commonly associated with Scarabs.

Ahn Se-Chang, the Director of the Natural Conservation Division at the Ministry of Environment, stated, "We will further refine breeding technologies and improve the habitat environment so that future generations can easily observe Scarabs, which were previously only seen in the Fabre's Insect Book or textbooks, in the ecosystem." He said, "We will do our best to preserve biodiversity and create a foundation for the coexistence between endangered species and humans by gradually promoting the restoration of endangered wildlife species class I, such as the Polyphylla laticollis manchurica and the Cicindela anchoralis punctatissima."