Taiwan's parliament has made a change to the law to ban circuses from importing or exporting protected animals.
Under the changed Wildlife Conservation Law it is prohibited to bring in or take out animals such as lions, tigers, elephants and monkeys, unless they are needed for research, said Tien Chiu-chin, of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who proposed the draft law.
The new law is in line with the requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Before the law was changed, circuses were allowed to bring in animals for performances. The new law does not apply to animals already owned by circuses.
"The performances are negative education on environmental conservation. Personal pleasure must not be built on the suffering of other animals," Tien said.
The change, which will start at the end of the month, also includes tougher punishment for animal abuse with a maximum one-year prison term for harassing, hurting or abandoning animals that results in their death or serious injury.
At the moment animal abusers face fines of between NT$10,000 and NT$50,000.
我國立法院已修法禁止馬戲團輸出或輸入保育類動物。
提案的執政黨民進黨立委田秋堇指出，依照修訂後的野生動物保育法，除了研究用途之外，禁止引入或輸出獅子、老虎、大象與猴子等動物。
這項新法順應「瀕臨絕種野生動植物國際貿易公約」的要求。
這項法案變更以前，馬戲團可合法引進動物來表演。但新法不適用於馬戲團既有的動物。
田秋堇說︰「這些表演是錯誤的環境生態教育。個人的歡樂不該建築在其他動物的痛苦上。」
這項變革將於本月底生效，其中騷擾、傷害或棄養動物致死或重傷等虐待動物的行為，將被處以更嚴厲的一年以下有期徒刑。
目前虐待動物者會被處以新台幣一萬至五萬元的罰緩。 （翻譯︰賴美君）
1. protected adj.
受保護的 (shou4 bao3 hu4 de5)
例: There aren't many tigers left, so they are a protected species.
(由於現存老虎數目不多，所以屬保育類動物。)
2. conservation n.
保育 (bao3 yu4)
例: We can all help with the conservation effort.
(我們都可為保育盡一分心力。)
3. prohibit v.t.
禁止 (jin4 zhi3)
例: Children under 12 are prohibited from entering.
(十二歲以下的孩童禁止進入。)
4. harass v.t.
騷擾 (sao1 rao3)
例: It is wrong to harass people.
(騷擾他人是不對的行為。)
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