The Miaoli County Government has approved an ordinance regulating rewards and subsidies for leopard cat conservation to encourage people and organizations working to help these animals.
Experts estimate there are 500 to 600 leopard cats nationwide, with 300 to 400 of them in the county’s Cianshan (淺山) area.
The county last year promulgated the Autonomous Ordinance for the Conservation of Leopard Cats in Miaoli County (苗栗縣石虎保育自治條例), which serves as the legal basis for the ordinance approved on Tuesday.
Photo copied by Chang Hsun-teng, Taipei Times
The Miaoli County Department of Agriculture said it has earmarked NT$1.8 million (US$61,800) for use as subsidies or monetary awards next year, and is awaiting approval of the funding.
Groups that are eligible to apply for the subsidies are: county-approved community associations; borough or village neighborhood watch programs; non-profit organizations; Council of Agriculture-approved agriculture organizations utilizing environmentally friendly methods; and licensed groups or clinics tasked with the capture, adoption, shelter and sterilization of animals, the department said.
Patrol groups established to protect leopard cats and their habitats are expected to receive between NT$20,000 and NT$50,000 in incentives, with the amount varying by year, the department said.
Farmers and other groups working in fields close to paths visited by leopard cats are to be given NT$5,000 per hectare, it added.
Animal protection groups and similar organizations are to receive NT$100,000 to NT$200,000 for assisting with efforts to reduce or mitigate incidents of strays fighting with leopard cats, the department said.
Police officers or other judicial organizations involved in the arrest or prosecution of breaches of leopard cat conservation rules are to be publicly commended by the county government, the department said, adding that it would recommend that the individual be give an award.
The Grand Hotel Taipei on Saturday confirmed that its information system had been illegally accessed and expressed its deepest apologies for the concern it has caused its customers, adding that the issue is being investigated by the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau. The hotel said that on Tuesday last week, it had discovered an external illegal intrusion into its information system. An initial digital forensic investigation confirmed that parts of the system had been accessed, it said, adding that the possibility that some customer data were stolen and leaked could not be ruled out. The actual scope and content of the affected data
DO THEY BITE IT? Cats have better memories than people might think, but their motivation is based entirely around the chance of getting fed Cats can remember the identity of the people who fed them the day before, Taipei-based veterinarians said on Friday, debunking a popular myth that cats have a short memory. If a stray does not recognize the person who fed them the previous day, it is likely because they are not carrying food and the cat has no reason to recognize them, said Wu Chou Animal Hospital head Chen Chen-huan (陳震寰). “When cats come to a human bearing food, it is coming for the food, not the person,” he said. “The food is the key.” Since the cat’s attention is on the food, it
A New York-based NGO has launched a global initiative to rename the nation’s overseas missions, most of which operate under the name "Taipei," to "Taiwan Representative Office (TRO)," according to a news release. Ming Chiang (江明信), CEO of Hello Taiwan, announced the campaign at a news conference in Berlin on Monday, coinciding with the World Forum held from Monday through Wednesday, the institution stated in the release. Speaking at the event, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Jie (黃捷) said she believed this renaming campaign would enable the international community to see Taiwan
TOO DANGEROUS: The families agreed to suspend crewed recovery efforts that could put rescuers in danger from volcanic gases and unstable terrain The bodies of two Taiwanese tourists and a Japanese pilot have been located inside a volcanic crater, Japanese authorities said yesterday, nearly a month after a sightseeing helicopter crashed during a flight over southwestern Japan. Drone footage taken at the site showed three bodies near the wreckage of the aircraft inside a crater on Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, police and fire officials said. The helicopter went missing on Jan. 20 and was later found on a steep slope inside the Nakadake No. 1 Crater, about 50m below the rim. Authorities said that conditions at the site made survival highly unlikely, and ruled
RSS