Recent sightings of cobras in Taichung’s Daguan Village (達觀) — believed to have been released into the wild in nearby Miaoli County by religious groups — have unsettled residents, who are calling on the local government to take action.
Residents of Daguan — which lies directly across the Daan River (大安溪) from Miaoli County’s Taian Township (泰安) — said they have recently sighted an increased number of snakes.
Daguan Elementary School staffer Pilin Yapu said on Facebook that the snakes must be those rumored to have been released into the wild by religious groups, adding that locals have reported seeing more than 20 snakes over the past month.
Photo: Cheng Hung-ta, Taipei Times
Ten snakes have been caught, but many of the local women are now afraid of going to the mountains alone to work, Pilin Yapu said.
A dog had also been bitten and died, he said, adding that local health centers do not have serums for snake bites.
The dog’s owner, Yeh Ying-tuan (葉英端), said she has lived in the area for 20 years, but had never seen a cobra before.
She and her husband were about to head home from work on their persimmon farm on Monday when their dog saw the cobra and tried to chase it away, but was bitten.
The dog died after they reached home, despite Yeh’s attempt to treat it by making it drink liquor with Glaucescent Fissistigma root.
Pilin Yapu wrote that an unidentified religious group has claimed that the snakes are harmless, as their fangs have been removed, but the death of the dog proved otherwise.
The villagers are forced to rely on themselves, he said, urging the city government to take action.
According to Taichung’s agricultural department, local representatives have told the local government of the situation and the city is working with wildlife conservation groups to teach residents about cobras’ habits as well as providing snake traps.
The city government said the Autonomous Regulation on Reintroduction of Wildlife and Conservation (放生保育自治條例) has been enforced since 2012, and if rumors that conservation groups have been releasing cobras into the wild prove to be true, these groups face fines of up to NT$100,000.
Miaoli County’s Siangbi (象鼻) and Shihlin (士林) townships have also reported cobra sightings.
Miaoli County Department of Agriculture Director Hsu Man-hsien (許滿顯) said that experts have identified the snakes as the Naja Atra — or the common cobra — which usually resides on the eastern plains of Taiwan.
The high density of common cobras found in the county may be the work of religious groups, Hsu said, but added that there is no evidence to show which group it is.
The county government has purchased more than 40 snake traps and distributed them to local villages and schools, as well as instructed experts to visit these establishments and teach locals what to do, Hsu said.
The county government has also stepped up police and volunteer patrols to look out for strangers entering these areas, Hsu said.
An official notice will soon be issued requesting that religious groups in the county refrain from releasing snakes into the wild.
Additional reporting by Chang Hsun-teng
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