Is a Eurasian Eagle-Owl on the Utility Pole? ... 'Headache' Over Urban Wildlife

Annual Surge in Rescued Wildlife... Increasing Cases of Wild Animals Appearing in Urban Areas
"Fear of Attacks on Pets" Leads to Human-Wildlife Conflicts
Experts Advise Seeking Coexistence Through Population Control Measures

Recently, as wild animals have been appearing more frequently in urban areas, conflicts with citizens have increased. The photo shows a Blakiston's fish owl, a natural monument, that appeared at an apartment in Haeundae, Busan in 2020. Photo by Yonhap News Agency, provided by members of the Smart Busan Moms' Profitable Real Estate Cafe.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] As wild animals lose their habitats and appear in urban areas, cases of conflicts with citizens are increasing. As wild animals begin to appear in places where pets or stray cats are active, such as walking trails, the chances of contact increase, leading to more frequent clashes.

Recently, a controversy arose when a YouTuber who runs a channel caring for stray cats threatened a Blakiston's fish owl found in an urban park. The incident became known on the 13th when a screenshot of a YouTube video titled "Cat Daddy Throwing Stones at a Blakiston's Fish Owl" was posted on various online communities. In the video titled "Bird of prey (Blakiston's fish owl) targeting a kitten during a broadcast," YouTuber A is seen feeding stray cats and then noticing a Blakiston's fish owl perched on a nearby utility pole.

A was concerned that the Blakiston's fish owl might attack the stray cats he was caring for and even grabbed a stone to chase it away. However, A explained that he did not physically throw the stone or use violence. In a clarification video, he said, "Since the cat was being prepared for adoption, I picked up a stone to protect it by chasing the Blakiston's fish owl away," adding, "The owl flew away before I threw the stone, so I did not actually throw it." He also stated, "If my actions have legal issues, I will take responsibility."

The Blakiston's fish owl is Natural Monument No. 324-2 and a Class 2 endangered wild species protected under the Cultural Heritage Protection Act. It prefers rocky cliffs or rocky mountains rather than forested mountainous areas and lives alone rather than in groups. The Blakiston's fish owl is a nocturnal large bird but is also active during the day, with an adult body length of about 70 cm. It is a top predator in the ecosystem, feeding on mice, moles, rabbits, frogs, snakes, pigeons, and pheasants.

Although it usually lives deep in the mountains, there have been unusual cases of Blakiston's fish owls appearing in urban areas, causing commotion. In 2020, a Blakiston's fish owl with a broken wing flew into a city cafe in Jincheon, Chungbuk, and was rescued. In the same year, a Blakiston's fish owl appeared at an apartment in Haeundae-gu, Busan, prompting a 119 rescue team dispatch.

On July 29, Namyangju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Joo Kwang-deok) announced that it has taken measures to prevent safety accidents caused by wild animals following recent incidents of wild raccoons appearing in urban parks and attacking residents during their walks. Photo by Namyangju City Hall

Not only the Blakiston's fish owl but also wild animals like raccoons cause problems by appearing in urban areas around Seoul and the metropolitan area. In June and July, wild raccoons attacked citizens and their pets during walks at Ui Stream in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, and Jangji Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

The number of wild animals rescued annually is also increasing. According to the Seoul Wildlife Center rescue status, in 2019, 1,054 individuals of 78 species were rescued (70 bird species, 897 individuals; 6 mammal species, 155 individuals; 2 reptile species, 2 individuals), in 2020, 1,166 individuals of 94 species (82 bird species, 987 individuals; 8 mammal species, 173 individuals; 4 reptile species, 6 individuals), and in 2021, 1,491 individuals of 94 species (79 bird species, 1,301 individuals; 9 mammal species, 181 individuals; 5 reptile species, 9 individuals; 1 amphibian species, 1 individual).

Experts point out that the frequent appearance of wild animals in urban areas is due to habitat loss caused by urbanization such as land development. Lee Won-bok, head of the Korea Animal Protection Union, said, "The frequent appearance of wild animals in cities is because they have lost their habitats due to urbanization," adding, "Also, the recent increase in people keeping wild animals as pets seems to be another cause."

He continued, "Wild animals have strong wild instincts and are not easy to raise, so there are cases of abandonment," and "Unlike dogs, wild animals have not evolved to live with humans, but because they are easily obtained, problems arise." Lee also said, "Since the population of wild animals is expected to increase, various methods such as supplying sterilization feed are needed to control their numbers," and "As abandoned animals in urban areas increase, it is time for the government and local governments to seriously consider ways to coexist with them."

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