On June 7, the Taitung County Council passed the Taitung Self-government Ordinances on Wildlife Conservation. In future, anyone who feeds Formosan macaques in the Dengsian Bridge Recreation Area in Donghe Township, or stray dogs or cats within Taitung Forest Park, will be liable to a fine of between NT$5,000 and NT$10,000.
Hsu Jui-kui, director of the county government’s Agriculture Department, says that feeding wildlife and stray dogs and cats is already prohibited, but because there were no penal provisions, people kept on doing it even after many attempts to dissuade them. Hsu says that, following promulgation of the ordinances, people who persist in feeding such animals after being told not to do so may be fined, but issuing cautions will still be the main method of enforcement.
The Agriculture Department says that Taitung County has abundant wildlife in terms of both species and numbers, making it easy for the public to come into contact with wild animals. Feeding stray dogs and cats often causes them to breed out of control and gather in groups, which has an impact on people’s environment and safety. Wild animals may also threaten people’s safety when they try to grab food, and such contact will reduce the effectiveness of measures taken to prevent diseases that are transmissible between humans and animals.
Photo: Chang Tsun-wei, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者張存薇
The ordinances clearly stipulate that touching, feeding or abandoning stray dogs, cats or wild animals is prohibited in Taitung Forest Park, Taitung Flowing Lake and surrounding areas, the Dengsian Bridge Recreation Area and public recreation areas within urban planning zones.
(Liberty Times, translated by Julian Clegg)
台東縣議會六月七日通過「台東縣野生動物保護自治條例」,未來在東河鄉登仙橋遊憩區餵台灣獼猴、台東森林公園餵流浪犬貓,都可以處五千元以上,一萬元以下罰款。
縣府農業處長許瑞貴指出,本來就不能餵食野生動物、流浪犬貓,但因為沒有罰則,民眾屢勸不聽,公告自治條例後,經制止仍執意餵食,將可處罰款,不過未來執行仍會以勸導為先。
農業處指出,台東縣野生動物物種及數量豐富,民眾容易接觸野生動物,且常見因餵食造成流浪犬貓族群繁衍氾濫、群聚,影響民眾生活環境和安全,野生動物也因搶食危及民眾安全、並影響人畜共通傳染病的防疫成效。
自治條例中明訂台東森林公園、台東活水湖及周邊場域、東河鄉登仙橋及都市計畫區內供民眾遊憩場地,均不得接觸、餵食或丟放流浪犬貓及野生動物。(自由時報記者張存薇)
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