Beautiful Island, Dokdo

Gangchi: Korean Sea lion	Sapsal dog	Dokdo shrimp
Gangchi were the sealions that habited in Dokdo. It is a sad fact that we can't see these sealions anymore. During the early 20th century, Japanese fishers illegally came to Dokdo and hunted Dokdo for their leather and oil. In 1972, Korean sealions were found in Dokdo for the last time and in 1994, IUCN declared the extinction of Gangchi.	Sapsal dogs are known as the protectors of Dokdo. However, the Sapsal dogs went almost extinct during the imperial Japanese era, just as the Gangchi. The Japanese hunted more than 1 million dogs for their leather. Thankfully, Sapsal dogs, which are also called as Sapsali, are not extinct yet and are labeled as protected species. A pair of Sapsali were sent to Dokdo from the researchers who tried to preserve these dogs, and now the fourth generation of Sapsali is protecting the island.	Dokdo shrimps are also known as the shrimps that the US President Donald Trump praised after eating them in Korea. Although the path is very risky and tough, there are people who go to Ulleung Island for the delicious taste of Dokdo shrimps. However, as the conditions to catch Dokdo shrimp alive are very strict and tricky, the Dokdo shrimps are in danger of being extinct.