Winter diet of Korean long‐tailed goral Naemorhedus caudatus : natural foraging and post‐wildfire supplementary feeding revealed by DNA metabarcoding

Understanding the winter diets of endangered ungulates is critical for developing effective conservation strategies in temperate ecosystems, where seasonal fluctuations significantly affect food availability. The long‐tailed goral Naemorhedus caudatus , an herbivorous ungulate listed as a category I ‘Endangered species' (EN) under the Korean Wildlife Protection and Management Act, inhabits fragmented and isolated mountain habitats in Northeast Asia. Here, we investigate the winter dietary composition of N. caudatus using DNA metabarcoding targeting the ITS2 region and next‐generation sequencing (NGS). A total of 36 fecal samples were collected from five regions in South Korea, namely, Hwacheon/Chuncheon, Donghae, Goseong, and Uljin between January and February 2024. Sequencing yielded 716 995 reads, which were clustered into 712 zero‐radius operational taxonomic units (ZOTUs) and taxonomically assigned to two phyla, 31 orders, 54 families, and 94 genera. The results indicate a predominance of woody plant taxa within the order Rosales, particularly Morus , Prunus , and Rosa , across most regions. Notably, in Uljin, Morus alone accounted for over 85% of the total dietary reads, which likely reflects the effects of post‐fire supplementary feeding following a large‐scale wildfire in 2022. These findings reveal region‐specific dietary patterns and suggest a winter feeding strategy adapted to high‐fiber, high‐energy woody resources. Moreover, our study highlights the utility of DNA metabarcoding as a robust, non‐invasive tool for ecological monitoring and provides essential baseline data to inform habitat management and conservation planning for N. caudatus .