On Sept. 23, two infant leopard cats were found trapped in a ditch in Miaoli County’s Gongguan Township and were rescued. On Oct. 3, another leopard cat cub was found abandoned, this time in the county’s Yuanli Township.
At around 10am in Yuanli, a man surnamed Chan spotted a little animal lying prone on a patch of grass. Initially thinking it to be a kitten, on taking a closer look, Chan realized it was a leopard cat. Concerned for the safety of the cub, Chan phoned the township government office for advice. The office took the case seriously, since the leopard cat is a protected endangered species, and contacted the Miaoli County Government’s Agricultural Department, while also advising Chan to bring the cub to its office.
Staff at the Agricultural Department’s Wild Life and Nature Section took the cub to Houlong Township Animal Hospital for an examination. The infant male leopard cat was found to be in good health and only about one and a half months old.
Photo: Tsai Cheng-min, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者蔡政珉翻攝
An official of the Wild Life and Nature Section said that they will record the cub’s mew and will play an audio recording at the place where the cub was found, in the hope that it will attract the mother. A camera will also be set up at the scene. If the mother comes back for its cub, they will take the leopard cat back to the original location to reunite it with its mother. This stage normally lasts for two days, said the official. If the mother does not return for the cub, it will be assessed for transfer to the Endemic Species Research Institute in Nantou County for care and training before releasing it into the wild.
On Sept. 23, while driving near the Beihe Tunnel on No. 26-2 trunk road within Gongguan Township, a man surnamed Yu saw stray dogs barking at a roadside ditch. Yu stopped the car and checked, finding two cat-like animals trapped in a dry ditch about 60cm deep. After carefully observing the situation, Yu guessed that they might be leopard cats, due to their round-tipped ears. He then drove away the dogs and took the two cubs to Miaoli Animal Care and Health Office.
Miaoli County Government stresses that the county currently has the largest stable population of leopard cats in Taiwan. In addition to improving roads identified as high-risk for road kill, the government also urges people to reduce speed when driving on the roads in Miaoli County. The government believes that having achieved their short-term goal of increasing the number of leopard cats in the county, their long-term goal of restoring the leopard cat population now stands a chance of success.
Photo: Screen grab from Facebook page of Leopard Cat Association of Taiwan
照片：擷圖自台灣石虎保育協會臉書
(Translated by Lin Lee-kai, Taipei Times)
苗栗縣九月二十三日在公館鄉發現有兩隻小石虎受困水溝並獲救，本月三日又傳出有民眾在苑裡鎮發現一隻石虎寶寶。
發現這隻小石虎的詹姓男子上午十時許，在苑裡鎮看見有小動物趴在草地上，原本以為是貓，仔細一瞧發現是石虎，深怕牠落單遭不測，便致電鎮公所詢問該如何處置。因石虎為瀕臨絕種保育類動物，公所也不敢大意，請他先送到鎮公所安置，並通報苗栗縣政府農業處。
Photo courtesy of Taipei Zoo
照片：台北市立動物園提供
農業處自然生態保育科人員將小石虎帶往後龍鎮動物醫院檢查，小石虎健康狀況良好，為出生僅約一個半月的公石虎寶寶。
保育科指出，目前會先收錄小石虎聲音在發現地播放，希望吸引石虎媽媽出面；現場會配合架設簡訊相機，若有拍到石虎媽媽回來找石虎寶寶，就會將小石虎野放回原地，以便石虎媽媽將牠帶回團聚。這階段觀察期通常為兩天，若兩天內石虎媽媽沒回來，就會評估將小石虎送往南投特生中心照顧，進行後續野放訓練。
之前在九月二十三日，苗栗縣游姓男子開車行經公館鄉苗26-2鄉道北河隧道附近，見有野狗對著路旁水溝狂吠，停車查看發現有兩隻像貓的動物受困在深約六十公分的乾涸溝渠內，但仔細觀察，發現牠們的耳朵外型較圓弧，便懷疑是石虎，於是趕走野狗，將兩隻小石虎送往苗栗縣動物保護防疫所。
Photo: Cheng Ming-hsiang, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者鄭名翔
縣府強調，苗栗縣是目前發現石虎族群數量最穩定的地區，縣府除努力改善路殺高風險路段，也拜託民眾開車行駛於苗栗縣內道路時，都能主動減速，短期內先讓石虎個體增加，石虎族群才有機會恢復。
（中央社）
DID YOU KNOW?
你知道嗎？
Although well-intentioned…
There have been cases of people “rescuing” cubs or young animals found on their own, be it protected species such as Formosan black bears and leopard cats or other creatures, including birds. Many people’s first reaction is to take the animal away, without realizing that the mother might be nearby foraging for food or waiting for people to leave so that she can come back to pick up her baby. Rashly taking away the baby may in fact lead to the actual separation of a mother from her baby.
It is advised that if you find a young, lone animal, you should first ascertain if there is any immediate danger in the vincinity, such as dogs or a main road. If not, please contact the authorities and leave the animal where it is so that your human scent is not left on the young animal, otherwise the mother may decide to abandon the baby.
(Leopard Cat Association of Taiwan, translated by Lin Lee-kai, Taipei Times)
【雖然我們都是好心】
最近不論是黑熊或是石虎，都有動物寶寶被人類發現疑似跟媽媽走失的紀錄，但不止是這些保育類動物，也有很多在都市中、在農田邊被善心人士救走的幼鳥，大家第一時間發現這些動物寶寶跟媽媽走失了，隨即展開救援行動，直接帶走寶寶。
但是，其實很多時候這些動物寶寶的媽媽都在不遠處，大多都有能力回來帶走寶寶，只是因為有人類在旁邊，媽媽不敢靠近，如果貿然把寶寶移走，反而會造成媽媽跟寶寶真正的分離。
請大家如果發現小石虎（或其他野生動物包含鳥類）無立即明顯危險（如犬、路殺等），先通報，先不撿回，避免留下人的味道，因為這很容易造成母獸棄養。
（台灣石虎保育協會）
The 2025 Seoul International Book Fair was held from June 18 to 22 at the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center in Seoul, South Korea. This year, participants from 17 countries attended, with over 530 publishing houses and related organizations taking part. For the first time, Taiwan participated in the book fair as the Guest of Honor, bringing together more than 85 publishers and presenting a curated selection of 550 titles. A delegation of 23 Taiwanese creatives traveled to Seoul to attend the event, including 13 literary authors, six illustrators, and four comic book artists, among which were a film director, an
In late 2024, the suicide of acclaimed Taiwanese author Chiung Yao at 86 sparked a societal debate. She expressed her desire to avoid the difficult aging process and sought to govern her own death rather than leave it to fate. Her statements propelled the issue of “euthanasia” back into the public arena, posing the question of whether Taiwan should legalize euthanasia to grant patients and the elderly the right to die with dignity. Euthanasia, the intentional ending of a life to relieve suffering, is legal for humans in countries like the Netherlands and Belgium but remains prohibited in Taiwan.
A: Wow, the 36th Golden Melody Awards ceremony is set for this weekend. B: I like all the nominees for Best Mandarin Album: Incomplete Rescue Manual by various artists, Outcomes by J.Sheon, Invisible Color by Terence Lam, The Dreamer by Khalil Fong, Haosheng Haochi by Trout Fresh and Ordeal by Pearls by Waa Wei. A: Despite struggling with serious illness, Fong managed to finish his last album before he died. B: With his hit Twenty Three, he is also nominated for Best Song, Lyricist and Composer, and will receive a Special Jury Award for his album. A: And
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang As Gen Beta grows, they are expected to witness advanced technologies becoming fully integrated into various fields like education, workplaces, healthcare and entertainment. In addition to technological developments, they will also face big challenges like severe climate change. Influenced by their Gen Y or Gen Z parents, who view climate change as a critical issue for the future and prioritize sustainability, they are likely to focus more on global issues and seek innovative solutions to address them. Moreover, Gen Beta will experience considerable demographic changes, such as lower birth rates and longer lifespans. Consequently, Gen Beta is predicted to
RSS