by JAMES S. KIM
For being the most connected country to the Internet, South Korea sure hates cats.
As Korea has become more developed, many feral cats prowling the streets of urban centers like Seoul have become victims to car accidents and residents trying to exterminate them. Fortunately, animal rights groups’ efforts to look for alternatives in controlling cat populations have gained traction in recent years.
One of those alternatives now includes technology. The city of Seoul and mobile messaging service Daum Kakao announced on Wednesday a new online mapping service that will track stray and feral cats, according to Yonhap News.
The map is part of an ongoing “trap-neuter-return” (TNR) program established in 2008 with the goal of gradually reducing the number of free-roaming cats in the city. As an alternative to euthanasia, TNR programs humanely trap and neuter the cats, then return them to where they were found.
Since 2008, Seoul estimates it had neutered between 4,000-6,000 cats per year. An estimated 250,000 stray cats still roam the streets and alleys, however, and the city estimates that about 30 percent of the 11,000 animals abandoned by their owners each year are cats. The city also plans to ask the central government to add a law requiring cat owners to register their pet with their local office. Currently, only dogs older than three months require registration.
The map will constantly be updated by crowdsourced information gathered from animal rights organizations, volunteers in the TNR program and individual feral cat caretakers. Users can also go on message boards to find and share information, as well as create regional networks.
Users can find the map by searching for it on the Daum portal website. If it becomes popular enough in the near future, Daum Kakao has said it will develop an official app.
Image via Korea Daily/Korea Animal Rights Advocates
