Gwangyang Steelworks Friends Volunteer Group Conducts Wildlife Feeding Activity

Leading Ecosystem Conservation by Alleviating Winter Hunger in Wildlife for 15 Years

Simultaneous Natural Environment Cleanup Activities Including Trap and Snare Removal and Trash Collection

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] The POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks Friends Volunteer Group (Leader Choi Chang-rok) held a 'Feeding Wild Animals During the Severe Cold Season' event on the 8th around Baegunsan Mountain in Gwangyang City.

The 'Feeding Wild Animals During the Severe Cold Season' volunteer activity is an annual event started with the purpose of preventing exhaustion and death of wild animals starving due to the cold winter weather and lack of food, thereby preserving a healthy natural ecosystem.

In particular, it is even more meaningful as it creates an environment where humans and wild animals can coexist by preventing damage to crops caused by wild animals descending to residential areas in search of scarce food.

Through this event, which marks its 15th year this year, the Friends Volunteer Group has been feeding and protecting various wild animals living near Baegunsan Mountain, such as raccoon dogs, water deer, otters, and Eurasian eagle-owls.

This year as well, the members placed food such as cabbage, carrots, sweet potatoes, and mixed grains along the less frequented hiking trails and wild animal paths from the Gwangyang Steelworks Baegunsan Training Center to Nolaengi Peak.

At the same time, they also removed traps and snares around wild animal habitats and carried out natural environment cleanup activities such as garbage collection.

Kang Bong-hee, leader of the Gwangyang Plate Processing Section who participated in the volunteer work that day, said, "Just as we experienced the 'boritgogae' (a difficult period of food shortage) in the past, this time of year must be the same for wild animals," adding, "I happily completed the volunteer work with the thought that we are contributing to creating a natural environment where humans and wild animals can coexist."

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

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