The Flight of Cranes: Militarized Nature at the North Korea–South Korea Border

 
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Conservation areas within the Korean demilitarized zone generate new “natures” that are deeply political and enmeshed in evolving relations among humans and nonhumans, as seen using the example of migratory cranes. The endangered cranes literally transcend geopolitical borders, providing hope for the surmounting of the ideological differences that separate North and South. At the same time, these cranes have exhibited rather remarkable adaptations to the conditions of the national division: they adapted to utilizing the T’ogyo Reservoir as a habitat in response to famine conditions in North Korea and hospitable feeding programs in Yangji village.

DOI: doi.org/10.5282/rcc/6339