Huang Ming-ying, a prosecutor from the Ministry of Justice’s Tainan City Investigation Bureau, was in the middle of investigating a case in June when he discovered that the suspect under investigation was keeping an owl as a pet.
It transpired that the owl in question was a collared scops owl, which is categorized as a class-2 rare and valuable species under the Wildlife Conservation Act. Huang decided to expand the scope of the investigation. During a search in July, five radiated tortoises were also found in the suspect’s possession. According to prosecutors, the asking price for a radiated tortoise is NT$10,000, resulting from its status as a class-1 protected exotic species. The discovery led prosecutors to believe that the suspect was engaged in illegal private wild animal trade and may also be involved in smuggling.
The owl’s discovery led prosecutors to widen their investigation to individuals higher up the food chain, and a large-scale search in northern, central and southern Taiwan ensued. As of this month, a total of 64 animals of 19 protected species have been found, including radiated tortoises, Bali mynas, russet sparrows and yellow-naped and yellow-headed Amazon parrots, all of which are class-1 protected endangered species. The case is still ongoing and prosecutors say the scope of the illegal wildlife trading network keeps expanding as the investigation rolls on.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Justice’s Tainan City Investigation Bureau 照片：台南市法務部市調查處提供
The protected animals discovered during the search are temporarily being cared for by wildlife conservation groups and regional animal shelters. Prosecutors say that to meet the needs of wildlife buyers, sellers collude with illegal poaching groups to set bird nets and hunting equipment within protected areas to trap wild animals, and sellers sacrifice countless animal lives to provide just one live specimen for trading in the underground market.
Furthermore, due to owners’ unfamiliarity with wild animals’ living habits, many die while in captivity. Prosecutors appealed to the public to love wild animals without harming them and not to inadvertently kill a wild animal by purchasing one.
(Liberty Times, translated by Edward Jones)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons 照片：維基共享資源
今年六月間，台南市法務部市調查處檢察官黃銘瑩在辦案時，發現嫌疑人飼養了一隻貓頭鷹，學名領角鴞的貓頭鷹是《野生動物保育法》規定的第二種珍貴稀有的物種，因此檢方決定擴大偵辦。在七月搜索時又發現射紋陸龜五隻，這種烏龜要價都是萬元起跳，因為是一級保育類動物，而且還是外來種，讓檢方懷疑私下販售野生動物的嫌疑人，可能與走私相關。
後來，這隻貓頭鷹一路牽著檢方往上游追查，大規模在全國北、中、南搜索，直到這個月已經查出十九種保育類動物共六十四隻，其中射紋陸龜、長冠八哥、山麻雀、黃領帽亞馬遜鸚鵡、黃頭亞馬遜鸚哥，都是一級瀕臨絕種的保育類動物，但是這件案子並未收網，保育類野生動物的販賣網越查越大。
檢方指出，被搜索到的保育類動物，目前暫交由相關主管機關、動物保護協會及地區收容中心安置暫養中，為了提供野生動物買家的需求，賣家結合非法盜獵集團，於野生動物出沒地區佈下鳥網或架設獵具進行獵捕，賣家為提供一隻活體在市場交易，過程中已犧牲無數生命。
而買家飼養後，又因飼主不諳野生動物生活習性，在飼養過程中死亡的野生動物更多，檢方再次呼籲民眾，愛牠就不要傷害牠、沒有買賣就沒有殺害。
(自由時報記者王捷)
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