South Korean police arrested a 54-year-old man on suspicion of catching up to 600 stray cats around his neighborhood, boiling them alive, skinning and gutting the carcasses and then selling the meat to locals for use in a special medicinal soup.
The Korea JoongAng Daily reported on the incident on May 21, writing that the Pusan Police Department arrested the man on May 21 on charges of violating Korea’s animal protection laws, although the case appears to still be under investigation.
The man is accused of luring neighborhood stray cats with food, then capturing them and throwing them – alive – into a vat of boiling water in his home. He would then, police allege, skin and butcher the cats and store the meat in his freezer until buyers came around.
The accused apparently engaged in this activity for a period of a little over a year starting in February, 2014 – killing up to 600 felines in that time.
Police, the JoongAng Daily reports, were quoted as saying that a rumor has been doing the rounds in South Korea – presumably among the elderly community – which purports that cat meat, if boiled in a soup, helps to relieve arthritis. They advised Koreans to avoid illegally obtained cat meat, the JoongAng Daily notes, as it is unregulated in South Korea, unlike other more common meats such as beef and pork.
Now, since I can picture the comments section for this story quickly becoming a roiling cauldron of outrage, let’s note that, this individual’s heinous crimes aside, each country has its own cultural taboos when it comes to the consumption of certain animals and one country’s adorable pet may be another country’s delicious stew ingredient. Hell, I would gladly eat (frankly quite delicious) horse meat every single day if I could, but that’s illegal in some countries. The JoongAng itself also reported as early as 2010 that cats, which were apparently once shunned by the Korean public, are becoming increasingly popular pets in Korea, so these Eastern medicine beliefs about cat meat are sure to fall by the wayside sooner or later if they haven’t already.
That said, animal cruelty should never be condoned and we hope the 18 live cats – apparently destined for the pot – police found in the man’s dwelling find a good and caring home.
Source: JoongAng Daily via Hamster Sokuhou
Scientist Missing for over 30 years Found Living Inside Secret LSD Drug Lab Hidden in Basement.
A Couple from Cottage Grove, Minnesota discovered a man living inside a secret laboratory inside their basement. On Friday, May
A Couple from Cottage Grove, Minnesota discovered a man living inside a secret laboratory inside their basement. On Friday, May 15th 2015 officers with the Warrington County Sheriffs Office went to the Morgan family’s home after receiving a call reporting a possible
A Couple from Cottage Grove, Minnesota discovered a man living inside a secret laboratory inside their basement. On Friday, May 15th 2015 officers with the Warrington County Sheriffs Office went to the Morgan family’s home after receiving a call reporting a possible break in. When the officers pulled up they saw the Morgan Family standing by the road.
“They ran up to us and said they heard a man shouting inside their basement and that’s when they called it in to 911” Said Captain Bruce Normans with the Warrington County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers say that they could hear the man yelling in the basement the moment they entered the Morgan’s home. But when they moved cautiously into the basement they saw nothing. However they could hear banging sounds coming from behind the northern wall of the Morgan family’s basement, specifically echoing from behind a large storage cabinet.
“It was a very odd situation. We assumed the possibility that a vagrant may have been trapped behind the cabinet and needed help” Officer Jim Catelli told Channel 6 news.
When the Officers moved the large metal cabinet they uncovered an entry way to a large hidden room in the basement. The room was full of various science equipment along with a terrified, elderly man. The 83 year old man was identified as Dr. Winston Corrigan, a chemistry professor from the University of Minnesota who went missing in the fall of 1984 and was a previous resident of the home.
“He had clearly been living down there for a long time and had suffered severe psychological trauma.. probably from not socializing with anyone for a while…or from ingesting a lot of the drugs… I don’t know if he had been living down there since the 80’s but I wouldn’t doubt it” Said EMT personnel Landon Choler.
Dr. Winston is currently being held at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis for observation. He will eventually be sent to the state psychiatric ward in Prairie Hills Clinic where he will undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine the extent of any psychological damage and possibly reintroduced to modern society.
“I just can’t believe it….it’s just so odd. The family that used to live there moved because they said the house was haunted so I guess that makes sense now.” Said a neighbor who had lived next door for 33 years.
The Police recovered over $500,000 worth of lab equipment stolen from the University, along with 3 hand guns, an assault rifle, 50 years’ worth of military grade rations and twelve 55 gallon barrels (including three almost empty barrels) of what DEA labs have identified as pure liquid Lysergic acid diethylamide, a powerful hallucinogenic drug more commonly known as the street name LSD or Acid.
Police, the JoongAng Daily reports, were quoted as saying that a rumor has been doing the rounds in South Korea – presumably among the elderly community – which purports that cat meat, if boiled in a soup, helps to relieve arthritis. They advised Koreans to avoid illegally obtained cat meat, the JoongAng Daily notes, as it is unregulated in South Korea, unlike other more common meats such as beef and pork.
Now, since I can picture the comments section for this story quickly becoming a roiling cauldron of outrage, let’s note that, this individual’s heinous crimes aside, each country has its own cultural taboos when it comes to the consumption of certain animals and one country’s adorable pet may be another country’s delicious stew ingredient. Hell, I would gladly eat (frankly quite delicious) horse meat every single day if I could, but that’s illegal in some countries. The JoongAng itself also reported as early as 2010 that cats, which were apparently once shunned by the Korean public, are becoming increasingly popular pets in Korea, so these Eastern medicine beliefs about cat meat are sure to fall by the wayside sooner or later if they haven’t already.
That said, animal cruelty should never be condoned and we hope the 18 live cats – apparently destined for the pot – police found in the man’s dwelling find a good and caring home.
Source: JoongAng Daily via Hamster Sokuhou
