Cheongju Zoo roars back to life with upgrades and new tours

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Cheongju Zoo roars back to life with upgrades and new tours

Published: 05 Sep. 2025, 11:16

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Barami, a male lion at Cheongju Zoo in North Chungcheong meets female lion Dodo on Oct. 23, 2023 at the zoo’s wildlife shelter. [JOONGANG ILBO]

CHEONGJU, North Chungcheong — The Cheongju Zoo in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, reopened on Tuesday with the rescued lion Barami back on view after a three-month facility upgrade that has added safer walkways, wider monorail access and twice-daily ecology tours.

The management office in charge of the zoo finished work on the plaza near the entrance, walking paths and the approach road to the wildlife conservation center, the office said on Sunday.

It spent 650 million won ($460,000) to refurbish about 3,830 square meters (41,225 square feet) and laid irregular pavers to create a more natural look in the entry plaza.

“We replaced cracked paving blocks along the main route where visitors can see Asiatic black bears and tigers, and we added antislip surfacing on slopes,” said Kim Hyeong-a, operations team manager at the management office. “We significantly improved the walking environment for visitors with strollers, older adults and children.”

The zoo expands access to its monorail. Previously limited to visitors with disabilities, eligibility now includes pregnant women and people 65 or older. Visitors can apply three days in advance on the zoo's website, and up to two people can ride per run.

Barami, a male lion at Cheongju Zoo in North Chungcheong meets female lion Dodo on Oct. 23, 2023 at the zoo’s wildlife shelter. [JOONGANG ILBO]

With the reopening, the zoo also runs “animal ecology interpretation” tours with guides twice a day at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. through Dec. 21.

The 90-minute program covers species such as lions, tigers, meerkats and monkeys and shares background on rescued wildlife now under care.

“We received many sign-ups from kindergarten field trips and families in the first half,” Kim said.

The Cheongju Zoo cares for 61 species and 274 animals. The Ministry of Environment designated the facility a partner conservation institution in 2014 and a Natural Monument animal treatment center in 2021.

The ministry named Cheongju Zoo the country’s first regional “hub zoo” last year, recognizing its conservation work and rescue capacity.

Residents know several of its rescued animals by name, including “Merci” the goshawk, “Gunbami” the badger, “Heongguri” the raccoon dog and “Kim Seobang” the red fox.

Barami, the male lion once dubbed the “bone lion” for his emaciated frame when rescued in July 2023, also lives at the Cheongju Zoo; his daughter Gureumi moved to the zoo in 2024 and will share an enclosure with him after acclimation.

The zoo plans to open two new habitats around November for lynxes and mouflons, and it aims to complete a training facility by the end of the year to prepare rescued raptors and wild birds for release.

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 CHOI JONG-KWON [[email protected]]