The picture shows a wild binturong or bearcat tied up and kept at a pagoda in Kandal Province, Vietnam.
The local monk feeds two wild bearcats at the pagoda to try and protect them from poachers. The poachers want to sell the bearcats to be used in Traditional Chinese medicine.
Actually the bearcat isn't really a bear or a cat. It's a type of civet. It lives in forests in Vietnam, Borneo, Burma and Palawan.
PHOTO: AFP
Bearcats stay awake during the night and climb trees and look for food. They mainly eat fruit. They sleep on branches during the day.
They have long bodies, between 60 to 90cm. Their tails are almost as long as their body. Bearcats weigh 9kg to 14kg and, when they aren't caught by poachers, they can live for up to 20 years. People say that bearcats smell like warm popcorn!(Catherine Thomas, staff writer)
照片上的野生熊貍被綁在越南干拉省的一座寺塔內，並由塔方負責照料。
當地僧侶在寺塔內飼養兩隻野生熊狸，保護牠們不被偷獵。熊狸可作為傳統中藥，偷獵者因此想販售牟利。
事實上，熊狸既非熊也非貓，牠是一種果子狸，生活在越南、婆羅洲、緬甸及巴拉望的森林裡。
熊狸是夜行性動物，所以利用夜間爬樹覓食。水果是牠們的主食，白天就在樹枝上睡覺。
熊狸的身長介於六十到九十公分，尾巴差不多和身體一樣長，體重則有九到十四公斤。在未遭偷獵的情況下，牠們的壽命可長達二十年。據說，熊狸的氣味很像熱爆米花！
（翻譯：林倩如）
William I of Prussia, a passionate painter, often autographed his works with “tormentis pinxit” — “painted in pain” — as a nod to his struggles with gout. Other historical figures like King Henry VIII of England and Benjamin Franklin also suffered from this “disease of kings,” which was common among people indulging in luxurious diets. Gout is primarily caused by high levels of uric acid in the body. Uric acid forms as the body breaks down purines, which are found in foods like red meat and seafood. Normally, the kidneys filter out uric acid. However, if the body produces
The UN Ocean Conference wrapped up in Nice, France on Friday last week with world leaders taking major steps toward marine protection and vowing a showdown when nations meet to negotiate rules for deep-sea mining next month. But a lack of funding pledges and the total omission of fossil fuels disappointed some observers. The summit was just the third — and largest yet — dedicated entirely to what the United Nations calls an “emergency” in the world’s oceans. The High Seas Treaty, or Global Ocean Treaty, is also known as the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law
A: The National Palace Museum (NPM) has launched an exhibition, titled “From Impressionism to Early Modernism.” There are 81 masterpieces from the Metropolitan Museum of Art on display now. B: The exhibit, held to celebrate the NPM’s centennial, must be so spectacular. A: It includes artworks by 38 artists, such as Renoir, van Gogh, Cezanne, Matisse and Gauguin. B: The Fubon Art Museum has also launched an exhibit featuring a number of artworks of Impressionism, including Monet’s “Water Lilies.” A: And the New Taipei City Art Museum just had its grand opening, so there are even more exhibitions
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang Living on the ISS is challenging due to the absence of gravity. Astronauts must strap themselves into sleeping bags to prevent floating away while they sleep. They also spend about two hours exercising daily using specialized equipment. Despite this, microgravity can cause muscle loss, bone density reduction and cardiovascular changes. As a result, astronauts require extensive rehabilitation upon their return to Earth. In spite of these difficulties, astronauts often describe their experience on the ISS as life-changing. One of the most awe-inspiring aspects of living aboard the space station is the unparalleled view of Earth. Traveling at
RSS