Representatives from a coalition of animal protection groups yesterday urged the government to reject a Tainan zoo’s plans to import giraffes and other wild animals from Eswatini.
Since it opened in 1994, the Wanpi World Safari Zoo in Syuejia District (學甲) has generated numerous controversies, Taiwan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) executive director Connie Chiang (姜怡如) told an online news conference on World Giraffe Day.
Since last year, the zoo has applied to the Forestry Bureau to import 18 giraffes, rhinos, zebras and antelopes from Eswatini, and has already obtained an import permit, the coalition said.
Photo: Yang Chin-cheng, Taipei Times
The government should consider international trends in conservation, animal welfare and the risk of disease transmission, and reject the zoo’s request to bring in the animals, they added.
Chiang said that the zoo treats wild animals like “dolls” that can be replaced, adding that instead of importing more animals, it should focus on improving the welfare of the animals it already has.
Giraffes have always been a mainstay at the Wanpi World Safari Zoo, Taiwan Animal Equality Association (TAEA) researcher Sera Lim (林婷憶) said.
While the average giraffe can live up to 20 or 30 years in the wild and in captivity, most of the giraffes at the zoo have shorter life spans, she said.
Over the past 10 years, four of the five giraffes raised by the zoo have died from disease or accidents, the SPCA, TAEA, AnimalSkies, and Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan said in a joint statement on behalf of the 13-member coalition.
Transporting giraffes causes them tremendous physiological and psychological stress, the groups added.
International conservation advocates say that giraffes should not be held in captivity unless necessary, they said.
The coalition said that the zoo has failed to provide proper medical care to its animals, while putting them in harsh display environments, offering visitors paid feeding experiences that endanger the animals, and placing no restrictions on the behavior of its visitors.
New Power Party Legislator Chen Jiau-hua (陳椒華) also attended the virtual news conference, saying that the bureau should revoke the permit and wait until after improvements have been made to the conditions at the zoo before reviewing its application.
The coalition also urged the public to join their protest by talking about it on social media.
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