"Child Who Caught Many Stray Cats Wins... Controversy Surrounds New Zealand Competition"

"200,000 Won to Caught Child"
Plan Withdrawn Amid Strong Backlash

A hunting competition in a region of New Zealand introduced a wild cat hunting category for children but canceled the plan after fierce criticism from animal welfare groups.

On the 20th (local time), according to foreign media including the British BBC, the organizers of the North Canterbury hunting competition established a "wild cat catching for children under 14" category as part of a fundraising event for local schools held in June. This was introduced because wild cats living in forests or fields are said to spread diseases and threaten the natural ecosystem.

The organizers planned to award a prize of $155 (about 200,000 KRW) to the child under 14 who hunted the most cats by the end of June.

[Image source=Pixabay]

However, local animal groups strongly criticized the announcement of the cat hunting competition. A representative of an animal organization pointed out in an interview with local media that "(participants) would not be able to distinguish between wild cats, stray cats, and pet cats." A spokesperson for the animal welfare movement group 'SAFE' also said, "We should teach children empathy for animals, not give them the means to kill animals."

In response to the criticism, the organizers eventually announced the cancellation of the wild cat hunting category. Through Facebook, the organizers apologized "to those who passionately wanted to participate in an event to protect native birds and other vulnerable species" and asked people to remember that "we are a volunteer group raising funds for local schools and others."

However, some netizens expressed regret over the news. Comments on the post included opinions such as "Wild cats spread diseases, and these diseases are very harmful to the pet cats you keep," and "Cats affect our agriculture."

Meanwhile, it is known that there are 1.2 million domestic cats and 600,000 wild cats living in New Zealand. Wild cats here are treated as harmful animals that threaten the natural ecosystem. Opinions are divided between those who support hunting to protect the ecosystem and those who oppose encouraging children to kill wild animals as inappropriate.