They're on the prowl at a handful of police stations, keeping pesky rodents in check. Thanks to the Los Angeles-based animal advocacy and rescue group, The Working Cats program of Voice for the Animals, feral cats that would have faced an almost certain death in shelters or on the streets now have a job.
The cats are in several police stations where rodents are a problem. The cats do not usually kill the rats and mice, but simply leave their scent, prompting the rodents to go elsewhere.
The animals' reputation grew after feral cats were introduced to the parking lot of the Wilshire Division nearly six years ago. The problem was so bad, mice were sometimes seen scampering across staffers' desks.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANIMALS TAIWAN
"Once we got the cats, problem solved," said Commander Kirk Albanese, a captain at the Wilshire station at the time. "I think it's a very humane way to deal with a very stubborn problem."
Feral cats cannot be turned into house pets, as they are unaccustomed to people and run away when approached. Voice for the Animals' board member Jane Garrison selected six feral cats for Southeast station. Garrison worked with two shelters to select the most feral cats. The cats were then desexed, vaccinated, microchipped and ear-tipped.
The cats were placed in large wire holding cages and housed in a shed for a month until they adapted to their new location.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANIMALS TAIWAN
At first, the cats spend much of their time out of sight. "They've got to play it safe and see if they're OK," said Southeast officer Sandra Magdaleno, who feeds and cares for the cats.(AP)
牠們在少數幾個警察局附近四處走動,嚇阻討厭的老鼠。這都要感謝洛杉磯的動物保護救援團體─動物之聲工作貓計劃,原本極可能死在收容所或街頭的野貓現在有工作了。
這些野貓進駐數間深受鼠患所苦的警局,牠們不用真的置鼠類於死地,因為單憑牠們的氣味就能將鼠類驅趕到別處了。
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANIMALS TAIWAN
牠們自從將近六年前被引介到威爾榭分局的停車場後變得聲名大噪,那裡的鼠患非常嚴重,有時候老鼠就大搖大擺地從員警的桌上跑過。
「這些貓來了之後,我們就沒有鼠患問題了,」當時擔任威爾榭分局隊長的分局長科克.阿爾巴尼斯說:「我認為我們用了一個非常人道的方法來解決這個難題。」
野貓無法被馴服成家貓,因為牠們不習慣親近人,一有人靠近就會逃跑。動物之聲委員會的珍.蓋瑞森和兩個收容所合力挑選了六隻最兇猛的野貓給東南警局,並幫牠們結紮、接種疫苗、植入晶片和剪耳朵。
這些貓被安置在一間房舍內的大型鐵絲網籠中一個月,目的是要讓牠們習慣這個新的地點。
一開始,這些貓大部份的時間都躲起來,東南警局負責餵食、照顧這些貓的警官珊卓.梅妲雷諾說:「牠們得先確定處境是否安全。」(美聯社/翻譯:袁星塵)
A: Artificial intelligence technology has been causing controversy lately: a student was caught cheating with AI to win the grand prize in an art contest. B: That’s so absurd. Does this mean that AI paints better than humans? A: Maybe. Luckily, the student was later disqualified. B: And more absurdly, it’s becoming more and more popular to use AI technology to “resurrect” people. A: Yeah, some netizens even posted videos featuring the late singer CoCo Lee, who was “resurrected” by them with AI software. A: 人工智慧的爭議不斷,有學生違規使用AI參加美術展,甚至贏得首獎。 B: 真誇張,這是不是代表AI比人類還強大? A: 或許吧,幸好得獎資格被取消。 B: 還有更誇張的︰讓死者重現的「AI復活」技術越來越熱門。 A: 對啊,還有網友製作已故歌后李玟「復活」的影片呢! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
It’s no secret that Japanese people have a deep affection for noodles. Like in the rest of East Asia, noodles are an important staple food, second only to rice. Japanese people have enjoyed noodles for over 1,000 years. The first noodles came from China and were introduced around 800 CE. As time passed, noodles in Japan not only became widespread but also developed some unique Japanese characteristics. The three most popular types of noodles in Japan are ramen, soba, and udon. Ramen, typically made from wheat flour, is usually thin and firm. The dough is kneaded and left to
Rice is an essential ingredient in Taiwanese cuisine. Many foods are made of rice, adding more variety to our cooking, such as rice cake, or “gui.” Wagui is made by steaming rice flour batter in a bowl. The term “gui” refers to a type of food made from rice, while “wa” refers to a bowl. The pronunciation of “gui” in Taiwanese Hokkien is similar to the word for “nobility” in Chinese, so it is common for people to prepare various types of gui, including wagui, as offerings to the gods or ancestors,. 米是台灣重要的主食,用米製成的食品十分多元,豐富我們的飲食,如米做成的「粿」。粿的意思是米做成的糕點,碗粿是將在來米漿倒入碗中蒸熟,因而得名。粿因為音同「貴」,因此碗粿等粿食常用作供品祭拜神明和祖先。 nobility (n.) 高貴,高尚;貴族 offering (n.) 供品 While Taiwan may not be
Continued from yesterday(延續自昨日) https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang As with many aspects of Japanese culture, there is etiquette to follow when you enjoy noodles. To fully experience noodles like a local on your next visit to Japan, consider these simple guidelines. First, be careful where you put your chopsticks. Don’t leave them sticking up in the broth or set them at the side of the bowl. When you have finished eating or if you’re taking a break, place them on the chopstick rest next to the bowl. Also, it is impolite to wave chopsticks around or bring them above mouth-level. Second, don’t take too