Officials at a famous Beijing park said yesterday that they were investigating the mysterious deaths of stray cats in recent weeks, as protesters accused park authorities of killing the felines.

The Temple of Heaven park has stepped up patrols in an effort to prevent more deaths and cat carcasses from being dumped inside, a park spokesman surnamed Xing said.

He said he didn’t know how man•y dead cats had been found, and that it was unclear whether they had died inside or outside the park.

Xing said dead stray cats had also been found in other areas close to the large park, a UNESCO heritage site where emperors in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties offered sacrifices.

Protesters gathered yesterday morning outside the park’s east gate.

Protestor Wang Lirong said cat lovers had found dozens of dead stray felines in the park since the beginning of October. She said she and other volunteers went to the park yesterday morning to feed the cats.

A spontaneous protest broke out that lasted about six hours and attracted dozens of people after garnering more publicity on social media.

Wang, who has fed strays in the park for four years, said insiders had told them the park had arranged to kill the cats. The park denied the accusation.

“Stray cats have been living in the park for more than 10 years. The park has no motive to kill the animals,” Xing said.

He said the number of stray cats inside the park had grown in recent years, with a larger floating population leading to an increase in the number of people abandoning their pet cats when moving.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)