Ownership of Formosan rock macaques is to be banned from next month, with owners required to forfeit or register such pets by March, the Council of Agriculture said yesterday.
The macaque would be added to a list of animals prohibited from ownership, importation or exportation, effective on Sept. 1 at the earliest, the council said.
Those who legitimately obtained such animals prior to the rules going into effect would be allowed to microchip and register them with their local agriculture department before March next year, or face a fine of NT$50,000 to NT$250,000 and confiscation of the animal, Department of Animal Industry Deputy Director Chiang Wen-chuan (江文全) said.
Photo: CNA
Macaques are not suitable as pets because they are naturally sociable animals and are prone to transmitting dangerous diseases to humans, Chiang said.
Forestry Bureau data show that there were 12 registered macaques in captivity as of Sept. 1, 2020.
When asked to report how many had been registered as of Monday, municipalities listed seven, three of which were in government care, Chiang said.
However, animal rights advocates believe there are far more macaques being raised illegally than the official numbers suggest.
A study by the Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan found more than 150 reports of macaques being kept in captivity since they were removed from the protected animal list in January 2019.
They were mostly rescues or captured to protect crops, but some baby macaques are also sold as pets for as much as NT$20,000, Environment and Animal Society deputy director Chen Yu-min (陳玉敏) said.
After they were removed from the list, many people thought they were allowed to keep macaques in captivity, Association for Coexistence with Macaca Cyclopis secretary-general Lin Mei-yin (林美吟) said.
Some have been kept in horrible conditions with small cages or forced to interact with visitors, Lin said, adding that she has even heard reports of owners withholding water so the animals would remain small.
Macaque ownership is finally being outlawed after persistent lobbying by animal rights groups, she said, adding that she hopes the new law would make up for years of inaction.
Additional reporting by Yang Yuan-ting
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
EVA Airways on Saturday said that it had suspended a pilot and opened an investigation after he allegedly lost his temper and punched the first officer several times as their plane was taxiing before takeoff at Los Angeles International Airport. According to a report published on Thursday by The Reporter, the incident occurred after the flight’s Malaysian first officer tried to warn the Taiwanese pilot, surnamed Wen (文), that he was taxiing faster than the speed limit of 30 knots (55.6kph). After alerting the pilot several times without response, the first officer manually applied the brakes in accordance with standard operating
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
RSS