Welcome to the Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources

Take a virtual tour of Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources and meet unique animals in 3D and AR

NNIBR sky view by Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological ResourcesNakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources

Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources (NNIBR)

Precious life lives across rivers in Korea. NNIBR is located near the Nakdong River, the longest river in Korea, to secure, collect, research, and manage biological resources that live in freshwater such as rivers and lakes.

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NNIBR displays more than 5,000 specimens such as the now extinct Barbary lion and rare seven bird species with only a few specimens left in the world, as well as key biological specimens to learn the biodiversity of the world and Korea. We are inviting you to the exhibition halls to meet creatures with their own unique stories.

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Lobby

As you enter the exhibition hall, you'll see a Bengal tiger chasing a herd of elk. This exhibit symbolises a food chain. It shows how ecosystems work in cycles. This tiger was actually killed in a fight with another tiger in a zoo. But it's been reborn thanks to taxidermy and looks as if it could come to life in front of your eyes.

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You can also see the healthy ecosystem of the Nakdong River through otters, herons and a variety of freshwater fishes.

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Bengal tiger by Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological ResourcesNakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources

Bengal tiger

The Bengal tiger is the second largest of the tiger subspecies, after the Siberian tiger. Its fur is reddish yellow or reddish brown and it has a white belly. 

The outside of its ears are black with white spot. Its tail is about half the length of its body.

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Animal Family

99% of the NNIBR's collections are real specimens. Only those that died in accidents or from natural causes are taxidermied. This 'Animal Family' consists of a mother and her cubs. The African dog is a real mother of her cubs and the story of how the mother died in an accident a few days before giving birth led to the rebirth of the mother and her cubs as taxidermy.

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African wild dog by Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological ResourcesNakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources

African wild dog

The African wild dog, also called as Lycaon, is a member of the 'dog' family of animals native to sub-Saharan Africa. They are similar in appearance to hyenas, but are smaller and more like wolves. They have large irregularly-patterned ears.

Another characteristic feature is that the tip of the tail is white. African wild dogs usually live in packs of 10 or more. They communicate through 'sneezing' and make democratic decisions, with the majority voting in agreement.

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Exhibition hall 1

The permanent exhibition is divided into two halls. Hall 1 is dedicated to the theme of 'Preciousness of Life and Biodiversity', with about 1,900 specimens on display. It is divided into three sections: 'Earth, the World of Creatures', 'Living Ecosystems, the Korean Peninsula', and 'Biological Resources, Humanity's Assets'. Here, we are introducing creatures with stories in their names.

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Attacus atlas by Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological ResourcesNakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources

Attacus atlas

Attacus atlas is the largest moth on the planet. The Atlas moth is so large that it can be found with a wingspan of up to 24 centimeters. It is named after Atlas, the Titan of Greek mythology.

The body is small compared to the wings, and the upper surface of the wings is reddish-brown with black, white, pink, and purple stripes. As adults, their mouths degenerate and they live off of stockpiles of fat accumulated during the larval stage. Their lifespan is short, about two weeks.

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Secretary bird by Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological ResourcesNakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources

Secretary bird

The Secretary bird is a bird of prey. It is called a secretary bird because the black feathers on the back of its head resemble a secretary who once held a feathered pen to her ear. They feed primarily on insects and rodents, but also hunt lizards and snakes. They are one of the natural enemies of snakes, so in Korea they are called snake-catching eagles.

While most birds of prey have short legs in relation to their body, The Secretary bird has long legs. They hunt by walking an average of 30 kilometers and when they spot their prey, they kick it hard with their long legs and then stomp on it.

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Atlantic puffin by Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological ResourcesNakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources

Atlantic puffin

They spend most of their lives at sea, except during the breeding season, and live on the coasts of Iceland and northern Europe. Nests are made by digging burrows 60 to 120 centimetres deep in the soft ground on islands or cliffs, and the male builds a burrow using it's beak and clawed feet.

The Atlantic puffin's brilliant orange bill can be seen on both males and females during the breeding season, while in winter they have a more subdued dark gray bill color. Atlantic puffins generally use the same burrow as the previous year.

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Leopard Cat by Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological ResourcesNakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources

Leopard Cat

In Korean, the names of animals are often derived from the way they look or the way they sound. In the case of the Leopard Cat, we can take note of its sound. When it threatens an opponent, it arches its back, exposes its sharp fangs, and makes a 'chirp chirp chirp chirp' sound.

They look like cats, but they are larger than cats and differ in color and pattern. A pair of stripes run from its brow to behind its ears and it has a white half-moon pattern behind its ears. Its tail is blunt.

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Multicolorfin rainbowfish by Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological ResourcesNakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources

Multi-color fin rainbow fish

It lives in the southern part of Korea's west coast, the Namhae Sea, Jeju Island, and the southern part of the East Sea. Its body is long and fusiform. Its snout is pointed and it has four developed fangs on each of its upper and lower jaws.

Males have a blue-green back, yellow-green belly, and black spots behind the pectoral fins, while females are darker red with less prominent black spots. They have a paternalistic social structure where a single male has multiple females. When a male dies or is removed, the largest female in the group changes sex to male and takes over the group.

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Exhibition hall 2

Hall 2 is themed 'Living and Breathing Nakdong River', with about 3,800 specimens on display. It is divided into four sections: 'Plants and Fungi', 'Animals in the Basin', 'Fish and Birds', and 'Biological Resource Research'. Here, we introduce creatures with unique stories in their ecological habits.

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Tiger beetle by Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological ResourcesNakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources

Tiger beetle

The Tiger beetle moves as if it were guiding a person down a path. Despite it's beautiful coloration, they have a very fierce temperament. It's double-eyes and large, sharp jaws make them carnivorous insects that prey on other insects.

With its long, thin legs, it can run quickly across the ground, and when it encounters danger, it can fly away. It's colorful appearance makes it one of the prettiest insects in the beetle family, and the word 'silk' was once prefixed to its name. Its body is a glossy turquoise and reddish color, and its wings have four large indigo spots, the front two are smaller and the back are larger.

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Korean clawed salamander by Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological ResourcesNakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources

Korean clawed salamander

The Korean clawed salamander is equal to or 1.2 times longer than its body length. It is a species with a secretive ecology and its behavior is on the dull side, although it appears to be quite agile. It is reported to be active for about 5 hours a day, and the distance it travels in a year is no more than 280 meters.

When hunting, it relies primarily on it's eyesight, but not it's color vision, which only responds to prey that is moving away. So, it's hunting success rate is very low, around 20%. The larvae breathe through their gills, and the adults breathe through their skin.

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Oriental Weatherfish by Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological ResourcesNakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources

Oriental Weatherfish

Oriental Weatherfish like places with muddy bottoms. In oxygen-poor mud, they breathe by sending air into their intestines. The evidence of gut breathing is the bubbling water that comes out, as if they were farting. Oriental Weatherfish and Chinese weatherfish are members of the same family (Cobitidae) and look similar, but they are clearly different species.

If your whiskers are more than four times as long as your eyes, you're a  Chinese weatherfish; if they're about two and a half times as long, you're a  oriental weatherfish; and if your face is oval when viewed from the front, you're a  oriental weatherfish; if it's round, you're a  Chinese weatherfish.

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Grey-headed woodpecker by Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological ResourcesNakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources

Grey-headed woodpecker

In South Korea, it is a common bird that breeds in dense forests. It is known as the 'green woodpecker' in Korean due to the light green feathers on its back. The males have red feathers on their heads, resembling red spots, while the females lack these feathers, making it easy to distinguish between genders.

They have two toes in the front and two in the back to provide even force for hanging. They also have a rigid beak and an elastic skull with a shock-absorbing sponge structure that allows them to bore holes in trees to feed.

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Microorganism  Experience Center

The Microbial Experience Center was created using digital technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to make it accessible and fun for everyone to learn about the various roles of microorganisms and their value as biological resources. 

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Walk down Microbe Street to learn about beneficial, harmful, natural, and everyday microbes. In the Microbe Lab corner, you can look at real microbes under a microscope.

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Jae-ru's Nature Playground

Jae-ru's Nature Playground is a place for kindergartners and elementary school students to stimulate their curiosity about living creatures through hands-on exhibits. Guided by a tree spirit grandfather who reads fairy tales, visitors can learn about trees by scent, plant a vegetable garden, and learn about insects with puzzles in the squirrel's hut. Cross the swinging bridge to visit other hands-on learning exhibits and live creatures.

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Greenhouse

The outdoor exhibition greenhouse is also not to be missed, where you can see more than 1,800 different tree species throughout the four seasons. From major species distributed in Korea (evergreen broadleaf trees, orchids, ferns, etc.) to carnivorous plants such as Nephedes (bug catcher grass), you can meet plants from tropical and subtropical regions that can be grown in the greenhouse.

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The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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