A Joint Action: Students Protect Mandarin Ducks from Stray Cats at ZJU

Liu Jiang, a teacher at ZJU Huajiachi Campus, noticed a puzzling disappearance of Mandarin ducks at the mid-lake island on May 17th. Liu remarked that Mandarin ducks in his photo had decreased by two compared to the previous day.

“The sudden drop in Mandarin ducks is alarming, stray cats on the island are eyeing them,” Liu stated with a sense of worry. “I fear one may have been their prey.”  

Some students said stray cats on Huajiachi Campus might prey on breeding Mandarin ducks. In response, the Green Origin Association (GOA) and the Animal Protector Association (APA) took protective actions on May 20th. 

Members of GOA contacted Huang Guanwen, leader of APA, on May 20th. “The number of Mandarin ducks has dropped from nine to five. We suspect the cats on the island might be responsible,” they said.

Mandarin ducks at ZJU Huajiachi Campus. [Photo from Zheng Li]

The GOA asked Huang to move the cat cages together that day. Huang quickly mobilized the APA’s members to join forces with them for cleanup efforts in the afternoon.  

One of the APA’s students, Lu Ying, involved in the cleanup, expressed their efforts. “We arrived at Huajiachi after 8 p.m., inspected the island with flashlights, and relocated the cat shelters to the dormitory area, setting up cat traps,” Lu stated. 

However, she also expressed frustration, as the cats had been living on the island since 2019 and it's not easy to keep the cats away.

Lu Ying brought the cat cage on May 20th. [Photo from Lu Ying]

The team thoroughly inspected the island, relocating cat nests and food bowls, and posted notices near the pavilion, urging against feeding stray cats. However, the cats did not fall into the traps, and the rescue operation was less successful than hoped.

During the cleanup operation, Lu conducted a thorough search for evidence. However, no conclusive proof was found, such as the remains of Mandarin ducks or indications of predation.

The security office at Huajiachi noted, “The lake is home to predatory carnivorous fish, and the campus also hosts wild animals such as yellow weasels, all of which could be natural predators of the ducks,” they acknowledged the cats’ potential involvement because cats indeed have a habit of preying on birds.

After the cleanup, Lu anticipated the matter to conclude. They planned to make a public announcement through GOA. However, the association's guiding teacher prohibited them from participating in the matter, leaving the outcome in limbo.

Surprisingly, a post by CC98 forum brought the issue to light on May 26th, quickly becoming a hot topic and sparking widespread debate and criticism.  

Wang Ya found the cat's nest on lake island on May 22. [Photo from Wang Ya]

The post was made by Wang Ya, a student of ZJU Huajiachi Campus. Wang had a personal visit to the mid-lake island on May 22nd, where she encountered three active stray cats and observed a feeding machine concealed in the grove.

On the day the post was published, Huang was contacted again by the students of GOA. “I suspected that someone was maliciously feeding stray cats on the island for profit,” Huang shared. 

In response, he arranged for the Trap-Neuter-Return（TNR）organization at Huajiachi Campus to conduct another thorough cleanup. This time, the focus is specifically on removing all feeding machines from the island and its surroundings.

At the same time, Huang called for the proper feeding of stray animals and asked the person who installed the feeding machines to remove them soon, on behalf of APA.

“Since April of last year, feeding machines have existed all over the Huajiachi Campus and were set up by individuals rather than organizations,” the TNR organization shared on May 27th. 

The TNR organization stated that the students who set up the feeding machines were motivated by goodwill, as they received vouchers for cat de-sexing. These vouchers were used to sterilize 39 stray cats.

Formed spontaneously by students passionate about stray animals, the TNR organization operates without official recognition as a student association. Wang explained, “They focus on feeding and neutering stray animals at the Huajiachi campus and finding adopters for them.”

The second comprehensive inspection of the island was conducted by the involved parties on May 29th. Huang announced that the cleanup had been completed, which included the removal of stray cats, their shelters, and all feedin machines. 

The current cat nest of Huajiachi Campus. [Photo from Sun Wenxin]

“Stray animals as potential disruptors to the ecosystem, capable of threatening the integrity of native habitats,” the APA shared. “We never encourage feeding them at will but rather deal with them by neutering them and finding adopters for them.”

Currently, the APA is working on a statement on how to deal with stray animals on campus and is preparing to open a club course to provide better guidance to students.

“So far, no evidence suggests Mandarin ducks were attacked by stray cats,” Liu said on June 6th. “Normalcy has been restored in the Mandarin Duck habitat since students took action.” 

Writer: SUN Wenxin, LI Guyi, WANG Sihua, College of Media and International Culture