Uchi Zoo in Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City announced Sunday that it had supported the neutering of six male Japanese macaques kept at Heukseoksan Natural Recreation Forest in Haenam-gun.
The procedures were carried out by Uchi Zoo and the clinical conservation division of the Korean Association of Zoos and Aquariums, with veterinarians from Seoul Grand Park, Everland and the National Baekdudaegan Arboretum taking part.
The collaboration was notable for pooling the country's scarce zoo specialists to bring together the expertise needed for primate care.
Japanese macaques are highly dexterous and can react sensitively to unfamiliar environments and people, requiring careful handling during capture and anesthesia. Each animal's health condition and behavioral traits must be assessed individually to plan the anesthesia and surgery, and professional monitoring is needed throughout recovery.
Veterinarians with extensive zoo medicine experience worked together to provide medical support for safe surgeries and recoveries.
Japanese macaques are primates that place great importance on social hierarchy and bonds within their group. Managing population size and planned breeding reduces the risk of inbreeding while also maintaining the social behaviors that come with group living.
The neutering procedures were carried out to prevent uncontrolled breeding and to create conditions for future mixed-sex housing, establishing a management environment suited to the ecological characteristics of the species.
The six males that underwent surgery will be monitored during recovery before being housed together with females.
Haenam-gun also plans to upgrade the monkey enclosure to create a stable, animal welfare-friendly management environment.
Since being designated the hub zoo for the Honam region in 2025, Uchi Zoo has expanded its specialized veterinary support and clinical advisory services beyond South Jeolla Province and Gwangju to include zoos on Jeju as well.
Through the end of October, the zoo had provided support across 27 visits totaling 164 cases, including surgeries for intestinal obstruction in a tegu lizard, bumblefoot in a whooper swan and cryotherapy for a flamingo, building the region's capacity to respond to wildlife medical needs through specialized care tailored to each species and condition.
Sung Chang-min, director of the Uchi Park Management Office, said animal welfare must go beyond treating sick animals to encompass creating appropriate management environments that account for animals' ecological and behavioral characteristics and improving their quality of life.
sij@heraldcorp.com
