A female college student has been given an NT$15,000 fine for repeatedly tossing a dwarf rabbit into the air and across a field.
The 21-year old, a Dayeh University student surnamed Chen (陳), received the fine after she was apparently filmed grabbing a grey dwarf rabbit by the ears, flinging it into the air and letting it drop to the ground several meters away in a field at Tsun Dong Elementary School in Changhua County’s Datsun Township (大村).
The footage showing Chen repeatedly tossing the animal was recorded by passersby and uploaded to the Internet, causing an instant uproar among netizens, some of whom called for hunting the college student down.
Photo: Tang Shih-ming, Taipei Times
Officials from the Changhua County Animal Disease Control Center met with Chen on Thursday to get to the bottom of the situation.
They said that the pressure of the online comments and media attention had made the 21-year-old emotional.
Chen said she purchased the rabbit for NT$200 at a night market in April, adding that she was very fond of the creature.
She was quoted as saying that she had flung the rabbit out of concern that it was not getting enough exercise due to the recent sultry weather, stressing that she loved the rabbit very much and never meant to abuse it.
Chen emphasized that she had not in any way meant to be cruel to the animal, the officials said.
Although Chen said that she regretted her misconduct and vowed to never do it again, the center deemed her actions abusive and fined her.
Center Director Tung Meng-chih (董孟治) said that what Chen did to the rabbit violated the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法), which stipulates that animal abusers face fines of between NT$15,000 and NT$75,000 (US$500 and US$2,500).
He said Chen was given the minimum fine because she showed remorse over her actions.
Meanwhile, Dayeh University secretary-general Hou Hsueh-chuan (侯雪娟) said she visited Chen and her pet after the incident and said the rabbit was very lively and exhibited no signs of injuries.
Nonetheless, the university will convene a meeting on whether to punish Chen over the incident, Hou said, adding that the school would follow up on the issue and improve efforts to educate its students to love and protect animals.
“We hope that Chen has learned from the incident and will be more respectful of life,” Tung said.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft