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Boars, raccoons and dogs, oh my! Wildlife sightings increase in Seoul.

Published: 27 Apr. 2026, 11:24 Updated: 27 Apr. 2026, 16:52

A wild boar is standing in front of a public bathroom [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A wild boar on a university campus. A deer escaped from a farm. Otters by the river at dusk. Spring has arrived in Seoul — and so has its wildlife.

Sightings of wild animals have been growing more frequent across the capital over the years, according to data from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR) released on Sunday.

Wild boar sightings, for instance, have risen every year, from 205 in 2022 to 427 in 2023 and 486 in 2024, reported to the city government. By district, Eunpyeong in northern Seoul recorded the highest number in 2024 with 158, followed by Dobong in northern Seoul, with 126 and Seongbuk in northern Seoul, with 79.

Analysis using drones, unmanned cameras and AI conducted by the NIBR yielded similar results.

Wild boars are frequently spotted near Buddhist temples in Mount Bukhan in Eunpyeong District, in Mount Dobong in Dobong District, in the Jeongneung-dong area of Mount Bukhan in Seongbuk District and near the entrance to the Mount Bukhan trail in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, the institute said.

The animals are known to favor steeply sloping, south-facing areas with dense shrubs as resting spots, and tend to forage in nearby allotment gardens and around temple grounds.

A raccoon in Yangcheon District, western Seoul [YONHAP]

Raccoons are a mainstay in Seoul, often found near urban parks, streams and green spaces, feeding on food such as cat feed left out in the area. A total of 2,656 raccoon-related reports were filed with the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters from 2022 to 2024.

The animals were most commonly reported around the Jungnang and Uicheon streams in Nowon District, northern Seoul, the Anyang stream and West Seoul Lake Park in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, and the Tancheon and Yangjae streams in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.

Wild dogs have also been reported near Mount Gwanak in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, which surrounds Seoul National University. Around 200 wild dogs are estimated to live across Seoul, the city government said.

A Long-tailed goral in Mount Inwang [JOONGANG ILBO]

A total of 692 species of wild animals live in Seoul, including 41 endangered species, according to the city government's fourth detailed plan for wild animal protection.

An endangered otter was recently captured on camera active in the evening hours at Nanji Hangang Park in Mapo District, western Seoul, according to the city government on April 22.

The long-tailed goral, also an endangered species, were spotted on Mount Inwang in Jongno District, central Seoul, in 2020 and on Ansan in Seodaemun District in 2021.

An otter is swimming at a reservoir in Gwangju in March [YONHAP]

Experts point to environmental change as the main driver of more frequent wild animal sightings in Seoul.

Wild animals that have found it harder to obtain food in their original habitats are moving to lower-lying areas and into the city center. Young, inexperienced wild boars in particular are often found in urban areas after wandering during the process of becoming independent in spring.

"The appearance of wild animals in the city is a natural phenomenon that has come about as urban development has encroached on what was once their habitat," Han Sang-hoon, director of the Korean Peninsula Wildlife Research Institute (translated), told Yonhap News Agency. "We need to think about what is required to coexist with wild animals in the city."

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 HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]