Animals hit by repeated fires

[Anchor]

This spring, wildfires have occurred one after another, causing significant damage not only to people but also to animals.

With an estimated 140,000 cattle and pigs affected by the wildfires in the Gyeongbuk region, which left the worst damage, there are calls for better disaster preparedness.

Reporter Moon Ye-seul has covered the situation on-site.

[Report]

In March, a village in Andong, Gyeongbuk Province was hit by wildfires.

A resident who hurriedly evacuated to a nearby campsite returned to check on the village and discovered a neighbor's barn.

Cattle that suffered burns or inhaled smoke are lying collapsed everywhere.

[Jeong Gil-ja/Andong, Gyeongbuk: "Yesterday, we used a tractor to pull them out. Three, six, seven... There are calves here too."]

In another wildfire-affected area, a passing car narrowly avoids a dog wandering on the road.

["Oh!"]

A resident passing by gives the dog some food and water, and it eats eagerly as if it has been starving for days.

It is presumed that during the evacuation from the wildfire, people were in a hurry or could not take their pets to the shelters where they had to stay together, leaving them behind.

[Shin Soo-hyun/Namjeong-myeon, Gyeongbuk: "The owners probably let the dogs loose, so they survived, right? They usually do that. The elderly have a hard time evacuating."]

This year, about 140,000 animals have been affected by wildfires in Gyeongbuk, and it has been revealed that 700 dogs trapped in cages at a large dog farm died in a fire while their owner evacuated alone, adding to the sorrow.

As the frequency and scale of wildfires increase, there are voices calling for institutional improvements to prevent economic and emotional damage not only to animals but also to people.

[Kim Young-hwan/Adjunct Professor, Soongsil University, Department of Culture Contents: "'Animals are not objects. They are lives' is a recognition that has risen among the public. I believe there is a need to revise disaster evacuation methods for animal safety."]

There are also discussions about establishing disaster manuals that allow leashes to be removed during evacuation or providing temporary shelters where animals can be left.

This is KBS News, Moon Ye-seul.