The Kunming Zoo released cats into the Monkey Mountain to eliminate the rat infestation, and was questioned as a case of "monkeys abusing cats". According to news on January 27, recently, a video of two cats suspected of being bullied by monkeys in the Kunming Zoo’s Monkey Mountain has attracted attention on the Internet. Many netizens are very concerned about the condition of the kittens.
Today, Kunming Zoo publicly responded that, decided to use trapping to remove the cat from Monkey Mountain, and conduct a comprehensive physical examination of the cat after capture.
@Kunmingzoo’s official Weibo released the “Instructions on Removing Cats from Monkey Mountain” stating that in order to ensure the safety of cats to the greatest extent, Kunming Zoo and the China Small Animal Protection Association decided to immediately use trapping to remove the cats from Monkey Mountain after joint discussions.
The main purpose is to set up a trap cage in the monkey mountain, place the cat's favorite food in the cage, and capture the cat safely when it is eating. After capture, the cat will undergo a comprehensive physical examination, the results of which will be announced to the public, and the cat will be properly placed.
Main reasons for trapping:Due to the complex terrain and many caves in Monkey Mountain, methods such as forced net capture and anesthesia can easily cause cats to have a strong stress response, which may lead to their casualties.
Trapping using a trap cage is safer and more secure and less likely to cause damage to cats, but the trapping method requires a certain amount of time and opportunity.
Previously, Kunming Zoo issued a report on the cohabitation of monkeys and cats in Monkey Mountain:
The phenomenon of cohabitation of monkeys and cats in the Kunming Zoo's Monkey Mountain originated in 2013. Due to sufficient food and the existence of caves suitable for rodents to live in the Monkey Mountain, rats breed, and the number of rats once reached 300-500.
After organizing artificial rodent control for many times, the expected results were not achieved. On the premise of ensuring the safety of the monkey group, Kunming Zoo consulted citizens and experts, adopted biological control methods, and introduced 2 and 6 cats twice. After one year, the rodent problem was basically eliminated, and 4 kittens were bred at the same time, bringing the number to 12.
In order to ensure the continuous management and effectiveness of the rat infestation, two cats were left in Monkey Mountain, which are the two cats that netizens are currently paying attention to. For more than 10 years, the monkeys and cats have been getting along harmoniously, and the cats are in good health.
Recently, Kunming Zoo invited zoological experts to conduct on-site research and judgment. They observed that the cats are in good health and that there are basically no traces of rats in the monkey mountain. In response to the concerns of caring people from all walks of life, it is planned to move the cats out of Monkey Mountain in the near future, and then conduct a comprehensive physical examination of the cats to ensure that the cats are properly housed and raised with healthy body functions, and the relevant conditions of the cats will be announced to the public in a timely manner.