Maybe there really were tigers out there?

[Redrose100]

Tracking tigers in Korea's DMZ

I am huddled in a sleeping bag in an old military tent near the Demilitarized Zone in South Korea. I am camping out with a band of men dedicated to protect their loved ones.

Oh, by loved ones, I mean wild animals. These are not soldiers from the nearby U.S. or South Korean armies. Rather, they are a rag tag team of conservationists (and, I suspect, a few of their buddies who may have joined the trip for the rations of hot dogs and blueberry pancakes).

The chief eco-warrior is Sun Nam "Tiger" Lim. (In Korean, his last name translates to "Woods" -- as in Tiger Woods -- no kidding.) Lim has been tracking tigers for 20 years and says his research shows the endangered cat lives in the DMZ.

The DMZ, you ask, isn't that the dividing line between North and South Korea established after the Korean War?

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/science/05 ... tml?hpt=T2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There were always rumors that they were tigers (and other large carnivores) either native or released by the North in the DMZ of Korea. I personally never saw anything larger than a feral hog that sauntered through our ambush position one blustery evening but we did come across some pretty strange tracks on snowy days.

I fear that Mr. Lim may end up joining Steve Irwin if he keeps wandering off the beaten path courtesy of some circa 1950 Chinese hardware.