Hanam City Launches Emergency Response to Badgers in Wirye New Town
Patrols with Hunting Dogs and Capture Operations Underway
City: "Life and Safety Are Top Priorities... Mid- and Long-Term Measures to Be Established"
Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Hyunjae) has launched an emergency response after repeated appearances of badgers in the downtown area of Wirye New Town resulted in injuries to citizens.
Hanam City is taking emergency measures as citizens have suffered damages due to the repeated appearance of badgers in the downtown area of Wirye New Town. Photo by Hanam City
On July 10, Hanam City announced that throughout July, it will conduct patrols by a wildlife damage prevention team accompanied by hunting dogs, and will simultaneously carry out monitoring and capture activities using traps and cages.
According to Hanam City, there have been a total of five badger-related incidents in Wirye New Town from early July 2024 to the present, during which 13 citizens were injured while out walking, suffering bites and fractures. Among them, one person underwent surgery due to a fracture, and ten people received treatment such as tetanus and immunoglobulin injections.
Although badgers are generally protected from capture under the Wildlife Protection and Management Act, the city prioritized the safety and lives of citizens and decided to proceed with emergency capture. Some of the captured badgers were found to be free of rabies after surveillance testing and were released into alternative habitats outside Hanam.
Currently, Hanam City has installed three cages and seven traps for continuous monitoring, focusing on Seongnam Golf Course, identified as a primary habitat, and the surrounding areas of nearby apartment complexes. In particular, reflecting the nocturnal nature of badgers, from July 4 to July 31, two teams are conducting patrols daily from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Patrol areas include the northern and southern sides of Seongnam Golf Course, nearby apartment complexes, roads, and walking trails.
To address the root cause of this situation, Hanam City formally requested on June 19 that the Ministry of Environment designate badgers as harmful wild animals. If designated as such, more proactive capture measures could be taken even before any human injuries occur. In addition, on June 26, the city also requested an amendment to the relevant notice so that facilities to prevent human injury could be eligible for national and municipal funding support.
A Hanam City official stated, "Because badgers have a habit of digging burrows, traditional fencing methods have limitations, so it is necessary to introduce effective, customized prevention facilities." The official added, "While we will continue capture activities to prevent harm to citizens, we will also conduct formal surveys of the badger population, habitats, and migration routes to establish mid- and long-term prevention measures."
Meanwhile, the city is also focusing on public awareness by distributing prevention materials to nearby apartment complexes and elementary schools in affected areas, and by posting eight banners on main roads and within residential complexes in areas where badgers have frequently appeared.
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