Numerous felines have actually long slid through the cobblestone streets of Puerto Rico’s historical district, picking up the periodic pat on the head as happy travelers and citizens snap images and use little bits of food.
The felines are so cherished they even have their own statue in Old San Juan.
However authorities state their population has actually grown a lot that the U.S. National forest Service wishes to execute a “free-ranging cat management strategy” and is thinking about alternatives that might consist of getting rid of the animals.
The concept has actually outraged many individuals, who stress the felines will be killed.
” This resembles Disney World for felines,” stated Alfonso Ocasio, who has actually been going to Old San Juan considering that 2014 to feed the felines a couple times a week. “I do not understand how these individuals attempt deal with the world with their proposition.”
Black felines, white felines, calico ones and tabbies stroll the seaside courses surrounding the historical fort called “El Morro” that protected San Juan Bay in the colonial age. The shy and surly ones crouch in the bushes far from electronic cameras and human hands while others perch on close-by rocks to groom or look at passerby as the ocean laps behind them.
They’re called “cobblestone” or “colonial” felines, however not everybody enjoys them.
” Encounters in between visitors and felines and the odor of urine and feces are … irregular with the cultural landscape,” the National forest Service composed in its strategy.
The company stated the strategy intends to enhance “visitor experience,” safeguard cultural and natural deposits, minimize health and wellness issues and relieve “annoyance concerns.” It likewise kept in mind that felines are most likely killing wildlife in the location.
Authorities up until now are providing 2 alternatives: Get rid of the felines or keep the status quo. The latter would consist of keeping feeding stations, making sterile or sterilizing felines, and getting rid of those that have actually not been tagged, work presently done by the not-for-profit group Conserve a Gato.
On Wednesday night, lots of individuals collected for the very first of 2 public conferences on the concern. However when National forest Service authorities stated there would be no hearing and asked individuals to just document their remarks, the crowd appeared in anger.
” This does not make good sense!”
” We have doubts! We have concerns!”
” Let’s safeguard the felines!”
The crowd kept shouting, requiring a public hearing up until authorities relented. They unlocked to a little theater as one senior activist blew on the emergency situation whistle of his keychain to herd the crowd in.
Individuals spoke one by one in the middle of loud applause. Their greatest issue was that the felines would be euthanized, although the National forest stated it is still getting public remarks which any choice would be based upon those.
” These are the preliminary phases,” stated Myrna Palfrey, superintendent of the San Juan National Historic Website. “We do not have any responses today.”
Numerous not-for-profit companies required proof to support declarations in the strategy that some individuals did not desire the felines around which they were potentially searching wildlife in the location.
” I see travelers entirely captivated of those felines,” stated Nydia Fernández, who resides in Old San Juan and walks the historical fort 3 times a week, where crowds of felines gather.
A decision is months away, however the proposition to get rid of felines distresses Ocasio, an animal enthusiast who invests approximately $15 a week feeding felines in Old San Juan. He stated he embraces those that are ill and senior, looking after them in their last days.
Amongst the citizens who spoke was Toru Dodo, who relocated to Puerto Rico from California previously this year and resides in Old San Juan.
He questioned what authorities were going to finish with the felines, whether environmental evaluations have actually been done beyond trap electronic cameras and what effects would arise from eliminating them, significantly with the rat population.
Dodo likewise asked what would take place if individuals keep deserting felines in the location, which activists state is an issue.
” I’m not alone in desiring to understand the responses,” he stated in the middle of claps and cheers. “These are among the marvels of Old San Juan.”
