Gyeonggi Province returns 16 rehabilitated wild animals to nature
A rehabilitated leopard cat bounds back into its natural habitat after completing survival training at the Gyeonggi Northern Wildlife Rescue and Management Center. Courtesy of Gyeonggi Provincial Government
Sixteen wild animals, including endangered leopard cats, raccoon dogs and weasels, have been returned to the wild in Gyeonggi Province after months of rehabilitation and training to prepare them to survive on their own.
Gyeonggi Province said Wednesday that the animals were released a day earlier in cooperation with the Imjin River Ecological Conservation Association, a local private wildlife protection group.
The animals were rescued during the spring and summer breeding season after losing their mothers or being found exhausted or ill, with residents reporting the animals and the private group transporting them to the Gyeonggi Northern Wildlife Rescue and Management Center.
Among those released were leopard cats, classified as Class II endangered wildlife in Korea, along with raccoon dogs and weasels.
At the center, the animals received individualized feeding and nutritional care, medical treatment and rehabilitation, followed by staged training intended to help them live independently in the wild.
The program included exercises in hunting for food, finding shelter and avoiding people, with each animal undergoing health checks and assessments of its ability to hunt before being cleared for release.
The release also highlighted a cooperation system linking private groups that find and rescue injured or stranded wildlife with the provincial center, which provides specialized treatment and rehabilitation before animals return to nature.
The releases mark the culmination of a months-long rescue initiative aimed at giving orphaned and injured wildlife a second chance.
"It is deeply meaningful to see these young animals — who struggled to survive on their own — return to their natural habitat after receiving expert care," said Jung Bong-soo, head of Gyeonggi's Animal Welfare Division. "We will continue to strengthen partnerships with local groups to ensure prompt rescue for wildlife in distress and foster a safer ecosystem."
He said the province would strengthen cooperation with local private groups to rescue and treat wildlife quickly while promoting coexistence between people and wild animals.
Through August, Gyeonggi Province had rescued 3,539 wild animals this year and returned 1,054 to nature, according to the province.
The province urged residents who encounter young wild animals in spring or summer to observe them for some time before intervening because their mothers may be nearby, and to contact a wildlife rescue center or local government office for guidance.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.