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Oldest living tiger in Korea dies at age 20

Published: 09 Nov. 2025, 14:46 Updated: 09 Nov. 2025, 18:23

The tiger Hancheong, born in 2005, is seen in this photo. She died at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang, on Nov. 6. [BAEKDUDAEGAN NATIONAL ARBORETUM]

Hancheong, the oldest living tiger in Korea, died on Thursday at the age of 20. The female Mount Paektu tiger had lived for eight years at the Tiger Forest in the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum in Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang.

A memorial site for Hancheong was set up at the arboretum on Friday. Arboretum staff and locals visited and left messages such as “Hancheong, be happy among the tiger stars,” and “Thank you for everything.” Tributes also poured in on the arboretum’s social media accounts, with commenters writing, “You were the mascot of the arboretum. Now rest peacefully,” and “I’m glad you lived a full life in a good place, but this is so sad.” Some of Hancheong’s fans from cities — including Seoul and Busan — plan to visit the memorial on chartered buses.

Born on May 8, 2005, at Seoul Grand Park, Hancheong was transferred to the arboretum on June 29, 2017. As part of its effort to systematically preserve the Baekdudaegan mountain range and its forest biodiversity, the Korea Forest Service spent 220 billion won ($151 million) between 2009 and 2015 to build what is now the largest arboretum in Asia. A key feature is its Tiger Forest, an enclosed forest-like habitat created to protect the endangered Mount Paektu tiger.

The 38,000-square-meter (3.8-hectares) space — about four times the size of a football field — includes wooden play structures for the tigers to climb and artificial caves where they can rest, creating a seminatural environment. Five caretakers are assigned exclusively to the tigers, and they closely monitor each one, recording their status in dedicated management logs on an hourly basis.

Known for her gentle temperament, Hancheong was featured in many promotional videos and educational programs since the early days of the arboretum, earning widespread affection. In recent years, she began to show signs of aging, including tremors in both front legs. Her activity level and appetite notably declined starting in May. Caretakers said she also began to experience difficulty breathing on Tuesday. She passed away at 12:22 a.m. on Thursday.

“We plan to perform a necropsy to determine the exact cause of death and will follow all applicable regulations,” said Lee Gyu-myeong, the director of the arboretum.

A memorial is set up for tiger Hancheong, born in 2005, after her death at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang, on Nov. 6. [BAEKDUDAEGAN NATIONAL ARBORETUM]

The tiger Hancheong, right, is seen in this photo. She died at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang, on Nov. 6. [BAEKDUDAEGAN NATIONAL ARBORETUM]

Tigers typically live 13 to 15 years in the wild and about 17 to 20 years in captivity. Even in zoos, tigers older than 18 are rare. Another tiger at the arboretum, Duman, died at age 20 in 2020. Born in China on May 16, 2001, Duman was moved to the Korea National Arboretum in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, in November 2005 and arrived at the Tiger Forest in January 2017. Near the end of his life, Duman struggled with arthritis and ingrown claws but was often seen lying in the sun, enjoying nature — moments captured on the arboretum’s closed-circuit television footage.

Five tigers currently remain at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum: Uri, 14; Han, 12; Do, 12; Mugung, 5; and Taebeom, 5. All are in good health, according to the arboretum, which to introduce new Mount Paektu tigers to continue conservation efforts for the species.

“Hancheong was a symbolic figure representing how our society has managed and respected endangered wild animals,” said Lee. “The data that she leaves behind will be a valuable resource for developing guidelines on elderly animal care and educational content for species preservation.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAEK KYUNG-SEO [[email protected]]