The Taipei Customs Office’s express cargo inspections team has seized a shipment of protected reptiles.
The shipment included two critically endangered ploughshare tortoises, the office said, adding that the species is the most valuable tortoise in the world, with the pair valued at up to NT$2.4 million (US$77,295).
The shipment also included 21 Assam roofed turtles, which is classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the office said.
Photo: Tony Yao, Taipei Times
The office at 2:30pm on Thursday received an express cargo shipment from Malaysia labeled as tropical fish, it said.
The team opened the packages after noticing a discrepancy in documentation for the shipment and found 53 reptiles, it said.
The office consulted National Pingtung University of Science and Technology’s Institute of Wildlife Conservation, which said that 26 of the animals in the shipment were endangered.
Photo: Tony Yao, Taipei Times
The shipment included three young crocodiles, but two of them had died in transit, the office said.
There were also 27 red-eared slider turtles, it said, adding that the combined value of the 53 animals was estimated at more than NT$5 million.
Customs officials said they would charge the intended recipient, surnamed Lin (林), with contravening the Foreign Trade Act (貿易法) and the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法).
Separately, customs officials on May 17 discovered three ploughshare tortoises in the check-in luggage of a traveler from Malaysia.
The largest of the three tortoises recovered in May was 41cm long and valued at NT$1.27 million, the office said, adding that the other two recovered with it were 26cm and 24cm long.
The two discovered on Thursday were 40cm and 41cm long, the office added.
Only about 400 ploughshare tortoises are believed to remain in the wild and they can only be found in a small area in Madagascar, the university said.
However, up to six eggs can be laid by a single female in captivity, it said, adding that about 6,000 of either sex are in the hands of private owners worldwide.
Their value is measured in centimeters, with each centimeter valued at about US$1,000, it said, adding that the average length of an adult male is 41.48cm.
Private collectors are advised to check whether animals are listed as endangered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora before importing them, the office said.
Failure to do so could result in a breach of Article 40 of the Wildlife Conservation Act, potentially resulting in a prison term of six months to five years and a fine of NT$300,000 to NT$1.5 million, it said.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS