In the city center of Wirye New Town in Hanam, badgers have been spotted, leading to increased citizen injuries, prompting the city to enhance patrols and initiate capture efforts.
According to Hanam city on the 10th, since last July until recently, there have been five incidents in which badgers have appeared in the Wirye New Town apartment complex and walking paths, causing harm to citizens. There were two incidents last July and three incidents in June of this year.
Thirteen citizens (four last year and nine this year) who were walking suffered injuries including bites (animal bites) and fractures. Among them, one underwent surgery for a fracture, and ten received treatments such as tetanus and immunoglobulin injections (virus spread inhibitors).
The city believes that the badgers, which inhabit nearby hills, came down to the apartment complex seeking food.
Under current law, badgers are a protected wildlife species, but due to ongoing reports of citizen injuries and sightings, the city decided to expedite their capture.
The city has installed three capture cages and seven traps centered around the golf courses and the outskirts of the apartment complex identified as their main habitat.
Additionally, considering that badgers are nocturnal, nighttime patrol activities accompanied by hunting dogs began earlier this month.
To prevent further injuries, the city is also focusing on public outreach.
The city distributed preventive promotional materials to nearby apartments and elementary schools, and posted eight banners on roads and areas with frequent sightings.
Since last year, through capture operations, eight badgers (three last year and four this year) have been caught, all of which were released in alternative habitats far away from Hanam.
To solve the fundamental problem, the city recently requested the Ministry of Environment to designate badgers as harmful wildlife and to amend related regulations to include preventive facilities for wildlife that cause human injuries as eligible for national and city funding.