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A paleontologist donates 1,300 rare fossil specimens to Korea

A paleontologist donates 1,300 rare fossil specimens to Korea

Posted September. 28, 2016 07:29,   

Updated September. 28, 2016 07:41

한국어
“I will be 70 next year. Before I die, I want to contribute my achievements to my country.”

An individual has donated some 1,300 fossil specimens of mammals in the Cenozoic era including woolly mammoths. He formed his own team to discover the specimens in Siberia for over two decades. Among them are the skin tissue and fur of woolly mammoths, globally rare specimens, which is attracting a lot of attention. He is Park Hee-won, 69, head of the paleontology museum in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. He is the third generation of ethnic Koreans living in Japan. The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage said on Tuesday that Park donated the fossil specimens that he discovered in the permafrost of Siberia including the woolly mammoth, the cave bear and the saber-toothed tiger in June last year.

“When I was young, I really loved elephants. Novels and everything related to elephants," Park said. "When I watched a documentary film on the grave of mammoths on TV in 1994, I decided to go to Siberia which had mammoths.”

Back then, there was no flight heading for Siberia in Japan. He chartered a plane and went to the destination with his employee. He had to obtain permission from a commander of the army stationing in the area, which was designated as a military security region. “To win the commander’s heart, I had to drink Vodka for three days in a row,” he said with a smile. “Eventually, I got the permission and even borrowed a helicopter.” As no transportation equipment was allowed, he had to carry heavy fossils by himself.

“What I want is that young children in Korea can grow their dream by seeing the fossils in person.”



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