• Acta Via Serica
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.61-77
• /
• 2019

Following the introduction of Buddhism to China by Xuanzang (玄奘 602-664), the visual tradition of an itinerant monk became a popular subject. This theme developed into a Buddhist figure with an accompanying tiger, especially in Korea where tigers were an object of worship and ritual. This paper examines Korean examples of post-itinerant monk Buddhist figures accompanied by tigers, in particular the portrayal of itinerant monks as arhats and sansins. The supernatural powers of arhats were diverse, and they often tamed the tigers who then accompanied them on their journeys. The arhat, who was introduced during the Unified Silla period and gained popularity during the Goryeo period, was loved by the general public during the Joseon Dynasty as a familiar presence that brought good fortune. Special portraits of monks accompanied by a tiger, known as sansindo (山神圖), form a unique Korean genre. Sansin religious beliefs formed through a fusion of the newly introduced Buddhism and the age-old indigenous worship of sacred mountains and tigers. Most Buddhist temples include a sansin shrine containing on altar with sansin statues and portraits. Tigers in the portraits of itinerant monks and the stories of Buddhist monks who tamed tigers became famous and widely accepted in Korea, a nation already rich in tiger lore. Folklore and indigenous shamanism contributed to the establishment of Buddhism in Korea, and tigers played a central role in this.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.187-189
• /
• 2022

Nationalism can solidify national unity and ideology but sometimes causes conflicts in human societies. Interestingly, it affects tiger conservation as well. Collaborative efforts are imperative for tiger conservation due to their vast home ranges which cross political boundaries and the limited financial resources. However, tiger states have not shown substantial commitment to collaboration. The nationalism that is entrenched in tiger conservation provides a credible explanation for this passive collaboration among nations. One type of nationalism occurs within a country by favoring one particular subspecies over another. The other type of nationalism occurs when former range countries want tigers. Instead of contributing to saving tigers in current habitats, they are eager to bring tigers back to their political boundaries regardless of the tremendous financial resources required and the lower chance of success. Considering nationalism in tiger conservation, tigers, just like humans, may need a passport for a better chance to survive.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
• /
• v.67 no.2
• /
• pp.36-51
• /
• 2017

Taekwondo has been known as one of the most symbolic korean sports to publicize Taekwondo various groups have performed exhibitions. These exhibition performances have gained popularity domestically and globally due to the exhibitions' display of artistry and technical mastery. Performance wear has also received wide exposure and thus needs artistic symbolism and functional considerations. This study was done to develop Taekwondo exhibition performance wear for K-Tigers, one of the most active Taekwondo exhibition performing groups. Investigation of current Taekwondo exhibition performance wear and interviewing with K-Tigers members and staff were conducted before designing the uniforms. Interviews demonstrated 3 guidelines: First, the uniforms should not be too different from the traditional wear, but still look unique. Second, it should symbolize the Korean spirit and culture. Third, it should be casual and trendy enough to appeal to young people. Based on these guidelines, 3 styles were made: Dobok style, Hanbok style and Casual style. 5 final designs were selected among 75 sketches with the consensus of the K-Tigers members. This was followed by the 3-step correction process: wearing, check fitting, and correcting design and pattern to provide satisfaction to wearers, and give more detailed information to Taekwondo performance wear design.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.154-164
• /
• 2022

Understanding temporal variations in wildlife populations is a prerequisite for conservation planning of wide-ranging species such as tigers (Panthera tigris). We determined the temporal variation in abundance, population growth, and sex ratios at different age and sex stages for a tiger population in Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, India from November 2007 to February 2011 using motion-sensing cameras. We identified 19 male and 21 female tigers from stripe patterns during 16,110 trap nights within an area covering 233 km². The annual abundance of the population varied from 34.9 (mean)±3.8 (SE) to 23.9±1.5, with a declining trend in the mean annual change of abundance (-12%). The density of adult females remained stable across the study duration, but the densities of adult males and non-breeding tigers fluctuated. The sex ratio was female-biased (0.58 males/female) for breeding tigers and male-biased (1.74 males/female) for non-breeding tigers. Our results reinforce the importance of long-term studies for monitoring the naturally occurring processes in populations to develop population indicators and identify reliable baseline information for conservation and management planning of populations.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.103-114
• /
• 2022

Zoological Parks house exclusive animal species, thus creating a source of education and awareness for visitors. Big cats like tigers and leopards are among the most visited species in zoos globally. However, they often display stressful or stereotypic behaviours. Such behaviours are influenced by multiple factors including visitors, animal history, and captive environment. To understand this impact, we investigated the behavioural response of tigers and leopards to visitation, captive, and biological factors. The behaviour of eight big cats housed in the National Zoological Park, New Delhi, was monitored using focal sampling technique during May and June 2019. We recorded the captive and biological factors and visitor density for the subjects. The study revealed high proportions of inactive and stereotypic behaviours amongst the species. Tigers and leopards were found to perform stereotypic behaviours for 22% and 28% of their time, respectively. Generalised Linear Models revealed a significant variation of stereotypy in association with the factors. Stereotypy was influenced by visitor density, age, sex, breeding history, coat colour, and enclosure design. Adults, males, white-coated, previously bred, and those housed in smaller and simple enclosures display more stereotypy than young, females, normal-coated, unbred, and those housed in larger and complex enclosures, respectively. A high density of visitors induced more stereotypic behaviours amongst the big cats. As providing entertainment and awareness amongst the public is one of the fundamental objectives of the zoo, visitors can not be avoided. Thus, we suggest providing appropriate enrichments that would reduce stereotypies and promote naturalistic behaviours.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.1-15
• /
• 2018

This study aims to investigate an aspect of physical palace by reviewing the emergences of tigers and leopards in the palace in Hanyang from the environmental historical perspective. To do so, three topics in environmental history were reviewed including 'environment,' 'impact of human-beings on the environment,' and 'sense and attitude of human-beings on the environment' based on the historical records such as "'Wangjoshilok(王朝實錄)". The results of this study are as follows. First, It was confirmed that leopards and tigers were emerged not only in the palace but also near the City Wall of Hanyang from time to time in Joseon Dynasty. Moreover, tigers lived and propagated in the backyard. Second, This situation may be caused by the natural factors of palace in Hanyang including location, philosophy and technique of building, and so on. That means 'good location' placed by palace worked favorably not only for human-beings but also for the activities of tigers and leopards. Third, In addition to the locational environment, forest policies on the palace and capital may facilitate the emergences of leopards and tigers. With the managements of pine trees, prohibition of burials, prohibition of climbing, prohibition of mountain entrance, and so on, forests were developed in the mountainous territories, which might play a role of shelters or passages for the tigers and leopards. Fourth, It was confirmed that countermeasures on the emergences of tigers in the palace as well as the capital city were different by the kings. Out of these, Jeong-jo was highlighted to seek the realistic countermeasures with actual understanding on the emergences of tigers and leopards. Fifth, In summary, frequent emergences of tigers and leopards in the palace and capital city could be a practical evidence to show 'pro-naturalism' or 'eco-friendliness' of the palace in Joseon which was mentioned superficially, paradoxically speaking. Further studies with the related disciplines are required on the cultural or ecological history of the palace. In addition, it is considered to conduct more detailed scientific studies related to the trend of ecological changes in Joseon.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.48-53
• /
• 2012

The tiger population that once inhabited the Korean peninsula was initially considered a unique subspecies (Panthera tigris coreensis), distinct from the Amur tiger of the Russian Far East (P. t. altaica). However, in the following decades, the population of P. t. coreensis was classified as P. t. altaica and hence forth the two populations have been considered the same subspecies. From an ecological point of view, the classification of the Korean tiger population as P. t. altaica is a plausible conclusion. Historically, there were no major dispersal barriers between the Korean peninsula and the habitat of Amur tigers in Far Eastern Russia and northeastern China that might prevent gene flow, especially for a large carnivore with long-distance dispersal abilities. However, there has yet to be a genetic study to confirm the subspecific status of the Korean tiger. Bone samples from four tigers originally caught in the Korean peninsula were collected from two museums in Japan and the United States. Eight mitochondrial gene fragments were sequenced and compared to previously published tiger subspecies' mtDNA sequences to assess the phylogenetic relationship of the Korean tiger. Three individuals shared an identical haplotype with the Amur tigers. One specimen grouped with Malayan tigers, perhaps due to misidentification or mislabeling of the sample. Our results support the conclusion that the Korean tiger should be classified as P. t. altaica, which has important implications for the conservation and reintroduction of Korean tigers.

• Korea Petroleum Association Journal
• /
• no.11 s.189
• /
• pp.96-99
• /
• 1996

이 자료는 The Economist지 (96년 8월 24일~30일)에 게재된 "Emerging Asia's sombre era"와 "Wobbly tigers"를 요약ㆍ정리한 내용임. <편집자 주>

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.53 no.4
• /
• pp.239-243
• /
• 2013

Tigers are one of the most endangered species over the world and protected internationally or locally. However, they are still traded illegally for the Traditional East Asia Medicine or souvenirs / mementos as well as fake products. In the present study, to identify the species of the specimen known as the tiger's genitalia that was sold for mementos in China, two approaches of genetic tools and morphological comparisons were applied. On the basis of the entire sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1,140 bp), the result of nucleotide comparisons showed that the specimen examined here is matched with banteng, Bos javanicus (Identities = 1,138/1,140; 99%). In addition, the examination of external morphological characters revealed that the genitalia of the specimen is much more similar to the one of cows, not to tigers. The outcomes highlighted that there are still some fake products of tigers traded in market and molecular genetic tools could help identifying species of wildlife products.

• Journal of the korean veterinary medical association
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.117-119
• /
• 1978

Tigers are the large cats with prominent, black or brawn, stripes. They are common in jungles of India and Java, but range as far as the snowy, forested mountains of Siberia. Legal and illegal killing(over-hunting, poaching for skin, and also its bones, f