Photo: Samoo

The plan for the enclosed ecosystems of the South Korean National Research Center for Endangered Species is to breed and raise endangered birds for release into the wild. Further biodomes will house centres for other endangered indigenous animal species such as toads, tortoises, and foxes.

The domes look intriguing, the planners have high conservationist goals, and they might just succeed in drawing tourists to Yeongyang-gun, a semi-wild areas in one of the most densely populated regions in the world.

According to Wikipedia, the area is is barely cultivable due to its steep mountain ravines, is home to the Yeongyang Chili Pepper Experimental Station (which sounds like a mecca for diners of a certain bent), and is a center of literature.

Construction is due to begin in December 2014, the opening is planned for 2016. The project was designed by Samoo, and foresees visitor centres as well as research areas.

I’m not sure whether these biodomes, a major conservation project planned for a remote area of South Korea, won’t end up as the newest version of a high-tech zoo, but that doesn’t necessarily make them less valuable if they end up saving species.

Photo: Samoo