CCTV Monitoring at UGM's Wisdom Park Reveals No Evidence of Cat Dumping

The large population of cats at Wisdom Park, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Yogyakarta, has sparked discussion on social media, with claims that the animals are pets abandoned by students after graduation. The park’s management acknowledges the presence of a significant number of cats, estimating the stray population to be around a dozen. ‘Our gardener team has identified the cats that have been at Wisdom Park for some time, and there are indeed about a dozen,’ said UGM Residence Main Manager Wijayanti when contacted on Wednesday (10/6/2026). Based on staff monitoring, there has been no increase in the cat population in the area. Wijayanti also noted that no pedigree cats are roaming the park, and some of the cats have already been sterilised. ‘We checked and didn’t find any new ones; it seems they are the familiar faces we see every day,’ she said. She admitted the exact origin of the cats is unknown, especially since Wisdom Park borders a residential area filled with boarding houses and rented rooms. ‘But honestly, we cannot identify whether they came from the village on their own or if someone dumped them,’ she added. However, she confirmed that neither security personnel nor CCTV monitoring has ever recorded an incident of a cat being abandoned. ‘What we have observed are cat lovers coming to feed them,’ she stated. Wijayanti believes the availability of food is a key factor attracting the cats, as there are food vendors in several corners of the park and visitors often leave food for them. ‘Perhaps one of the attractions of Wisdom Park for cats is the presence of many food vendors. Visitors also bring food, so there is a food supply. That might be one reason the cats come,’ she explained. She admitted the management currently lacks the capacity to care for all the cats. As a temporary measure, they are conducting data collection and health monitoring. ‘We are preparing designated feeding spots so the cats know where to go and visitors know where they can feed them,’ she said. She also urged visitors to report any cats requiring special attention to the management at the GOR Kebangsaan Wisdom Park. The issue previously went viral on social media, with claims that the cats were former pets of students living in boarding houses who were forced to abandon them upon graduation. One post on the Instagram account @catatanmimi_ expressed frustration, claiming to have seen abandoned cats at Wisdom Park, some still wearing identification collars. The post also alleged the arrival of five new cats, including two large ones, one with a collar, and three kittens, as well as cases of sick cats being dumped, including one with scabies. The user suspected the cats were former student pets and urged students to act responsibly, suggesting they find shelters or open adoption rather than abandoning their animals.