US Military Begins Program to Neuter Stray Cats on Yongsan Garrison
Here is the latest on the Yongsan Garrison cat crisis:
U.S. military officials plan to launch a program aimed at slowing the growth of the stray cat population on this Army installation in the heart of Seoul.
Stars & Stripes
The program — known as trap, neuter, release, or TNR — was deemed necessary after the number of cats spiked as the military prepares to close Yongsan. Last year, U.S. Forces Korea moved its main headquarters from Yongsan south to Camp Humphreys.
“TNR is the humane and potentially effective approach for stray and feral cats by which community cats are humanely trapped … brought to a veterinarian to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, ear tipped, and then returned to the outdoor location where they were found,” according to the new policy issued this month.
You can read more at the link.
“the Yongsan Garrison cat crisis”
Not sure why it’s being called a crisis … the number of stray cats on Yongsan is no different than you find at any other base.
Would it be a good idea to neuter cats by sending them to endless SHARP training like they did with the soldiers?
Just one “May I kiss you?” class would probably do it.
Strangely, the stray cat problem on Namsan (late 90s) was far, far worse…
I think Koreans just hate cats.
As with nearly all human interventions, this one too will sure to have unintended consequences. Left alone, the cats will control the cat population. However, castrated males lose aggression, body strength, and their natural fight; which will disrupt the natural cat order more than this short-sighted human intervention. To quote Malcolm in Jurassic Park, “Life finds a way”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMjQ3hA9mEA
Doesn’t matter. The developers will kill them off anyway to make the new apartments for Seoul Central park apartment complex 1-20.
Somebody poisoned all the stray cats in my neighborhood once.
That spring, you couldn’t go for a walk around the block without seeing at least 2 rats.
There might be a lesson in there somewhere.
Like we say outside the Hump- Its better to have lots of cats than to have rats, lol.
Look at the pic, maybe if they didn’t feed them the population would regulate…