Officials set 1,000 cats loose in Jiangsu forest: reports
Animal welfare activists search forest as Jiangsu officials set 1,000 felines loose after police intercept truck destined for Guangzhou meat markets
Animal activists are combing a forest in eastern China for more than 1,000 kittens rescued from a meat supplier only to be let loose in the wild by local authorities, an organiser said on Monday.
Animal protection volunteers and local police intercepted a truck “filled with cats” destined for dinner plates last week, said an activist surnamed Ni from the Wuxi Small Animal Protection Association in eastern Jiangsu province.
But local government officials released the felines – some as young as four months – into a nearby mountain forest to fend for themselves, Ni said.
“They were being sent to Guangzhou to be eaten by people,” he told reporters.
“We didn’t want to release them, our volunteers had places to keep them. It’s definitely irresponsible.”
Volunteers are now scouring the hillsides with cages in an attempt to capture the cats, and hope to put those found up for adoption, Ni said, adding that more than 50 have been retrieved in the last week.
“Some of the cats are hungry, and haven’t eaten, while others have been run over by cars,” he said.