The owners of a recreation area in Changhua County are calling on the public to refrain from catching and taking rhinoceros beetles home after discovering that about 200 have been stolen by visitors.
Tsai Shun-miao (蔡舜淼) and Tsai Shun-lung (蔡舜隆) started growing Formosan ash trees in the Baguashan (八卦山) area 10 years ago in a bid to preserve rhinoceros beetles.
The two brothers then applied to set up a recreation area and observation decks on the mountain, allowing visitors to enjoy the view and see rhinoceros beetles up close for free.
Photo courtesy of Tsai Shun-miao
At its peak, as many as 5,000 rhinoceros beetles congregated in the area, with almost every Formosan ash tree densely packed with the insects, they said on Thursday, adding that there are hundreds of rhinoceros beetles in the area this year.
“It is heart-breaking to see rhinoceros beetles caught one by one,” said the younger brother, Tsai Shun-lung.
Rhinoceros beetles sell for NT$150 to NT$200 apiece on the market, and fetch an even higher price if sold as a pair, he said.
This has tempted some people to come at night to catch the beetles to breed them at home or resell them, he added.
The brothers have put up “No Catching” signs in the area and, whenever they see people trying to catch a beetle, they would approach them and urge them not to do so, he said.
On hearing the brothers’ plea, some visitors said that rhinoceros beetles are cute and the area is a “secret paradise for rhinoceros beetles,” denouncing people who catch them for themselves as selfish and imprudent.
This year’s season for watching rhinoceros beetles started at the end of last month and ends at the beginning of next month, Tsai Shun-lung said.
People should learn to coexist with nature rather than ruin it because of self-interest, he said.
The brothers said they welcome everyone to come and see the beautiful beetles, while reminding them that “if you love them, don’t catch them.”
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