A RESIDENT surnamed Zhao recently told the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily that he got scratched by a wild cat after accidentally stepping on the cat due to the poor visibility at night in Meilin Park in Futian District.

Zhao then went to the hospital for a rabies vaccine. Zhao thinks that the park should be responsible for this because it is a public area and should prevent the presence of wild cats.

However, the park refused to cover the fee for Zhao, claiming that the case did not fall under the measure of indemnity, which infuriated Zhao.

A reporter with the Daily later visited the park but did not find any cats. A cleaner in the park told the reporter that cats normally hide during the daytime and come out at night.

According to Zhao, there are four to five wild cats that have been living in the park for several years. “I was walking in the park and got scratched by the wild cat. Why should I pay for the vaccine fee,” Zhao said.

Staff at the park management office offered a response from the insurance company, which reads that because the lights are bright enough to enable Zhao to see clearly in the park at night, it is Zhao’s responsibility to take care of himself.

Regarding the claim that a public park should avoid the presence of wild cats, staff at the office replied that the park has its own ecological system that includes common animals such as monkeys, snakes and cats.

At the same time, the park is an open area so they cannot control the animals.

A staffer who was identified by her surname Liu told the reporter that many kind residents voluntarily bring food for these cats. As a result, cats have inhabited the park.

“We have contacted a charity animal organization to have them sterilize the cats in order to control the amount of cats in the park,” added Liu.

Some residents also recently reported that they had found Chinese green tree vipers in Lilin Park in Nanshan District.

(Wang Jingli)