Gwangju Wildlife Rescue and Management Center Sends Common Kestrels and Weasels Back to Nature

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] The Gwangju Metropolitan City Health and Environment Research Institute Wildlife Rescue Management Center (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Gwangju Center’) announced on the 25th that it has successively returned six Common Kestrels (Natural Monument No. 323-8) and three weasels to the wild.

The Common Kestrels that were successfully returned to nature this time were rescued as lost after reports from citizens between May and early July in places such as apartments and park forests. The weasels were rescued in June after being stuck on sticky mouse traps and received two to three sticky trap removal treatments, followed by intensive care from the attending veterinarian and rehabilitation manager for about 50 to 100 days.

Meanwhile, since its opening in 2019, the Gwangju Center has rescued 616 wild animals of 81 species in the Gwangju area. Birds accounted for the largest number with 548 (89%), followed by mammals with 63 (10.2%), and reptiles with 5 (0.8%).

Among them, 46 animals of 13 species, including natural monuments and endangered species such as Blakiston's Fish Owl, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, and leopard cat, were included.

The main cause of rescue was ‘lost young’ animals that had lost their mothers, accounting for 277 cases (45%), followed by collisions with buildings or vehicles at 207 cases (33.6%), intrusion into human habitation at 31 cases (5%), disease infection at 21 cases (3.4%), and other cases at 80 (12%).

Na Ho-myeong, director of the Wildlife Rescue Management Center, said, “Among the 293 cases treated and managed this year, 94 were returned to nature (release rate 32.1%). We will continue to do our best to ensure that wild animals rescued in the Gwangju area can return to the wild.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.