Tourist misbehavior has damaged firefly habitats in Yunlin County and led to a decline in the local firefly population, with two environmental groups deciding to cancel their annual firefly-watching tours this year due to environmental concerns.
The county’s mountainous areas are home to a variety of firefly species, with at least 14 nocturnal species found in Gukeng Township’s (古坑) and Huashan Village (華山), including the most populous Luciola hydrophila, Yunlin Ecological Conservation Corp said.
Corporation director Wu Teng-li (吳登立) said that firefly tourism is most popular in April and May, and that the organization meant to raise ecological awareness and promote habitat conservation by conducting firefly-watching tours.
Photo provided by the Ankeng Borough Warden Office
However, it took just a few years for the corporation to see its decade-long conservation efforts negated by tourism, he said.
Wu said a group of elementary-school students went on a school trip to Huashan with insect collecting kits to capture fireflies, and told him that they were simply following their teacher’s instructions.
He managed to persuade the children to release the glowworms they captured, but the insects were on the verge of death, he said.
There was also a group of college students who tried to drive into the environmental area without permission and bellowed at the conservation volunteers who tried to stop them from entering.
“There is no law prohibiting [driving in the area],” they shouted.
Environmental conservationist Chang Hsiu-li (張秀荔) said that it took her family more than 10 years to restore firefly habitats at the family estate in Shanfong Community, which has become a popular tourist attraction.
Tourists should refrain from disturbing or capturing fireflies, because they are very delicate and sensitive to human presence, she said.
However, tourists tend to ignore the warning and often scare the insects by talking loudly or using camera flashes, she said, adding that some tourists distribute plastic bags to capture fireflies.
The local firefly population has decreased drastically due to damaged habitats, and the firefly-watching tours at Shanfong has been canceled this year to restore the habitat, she said.
Community volunteers are to take turns standing guard at the entrance to the estate to prevent tourists from intruding and give fireflies a safe environment, she said.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
RSS