Hsinchu Zoo is officially a trading-only facility, prioritizing animal acquisitions focused on rescue and rehabilitation, the Hsinchu City Government said on Tuesday.
The policy is an extension of the zoo’s practice over the past few years of exchanging animals between institutions, the city said.
Through swaps rather than sales, the animals could serve as “city ambassadors,” while also promoting values such as sustainability and the importance of life, it added.
Photo courtesy of the Hsinchu City Government
Established in 1936, Hsinchu Zoo is the nation’s oldest zoo to continuously operate in its original location, zoo director Yang Chu-yuan (楊礎遠) said.
The zoo reopened to the public on Dec. 28, 2019, after undergoing two years of comprehensive renovations, he said.
The new facilities were designed according to three core principles: animal welfare, preserving history and “life education,” or conveying the value of life, he said.
To this end, the animal enclosures were given an open design at least 1.5 times bigger than before, with expanded activity space, environments that better mimic their natural habitats and toys for mental enrichment, Yang said.
The zoo has 143 animals spanning 30 species, which are provided year-round veterinary care and carefully balanced diets, the zoo said.
Some animals were lost during renovations due to sickness or old age, but 15 others were born, adding to the raccoon, guinea pig, Barbados Blackbelly sheep and chinchilla enclosures, it added.
To meet its educational goals, the zoo is training volunteers to provide guided tours introducing the animals, as well as conservation concepts, it said.
About 3 million people have visited the zoo since it reopened at the end of 2019, three times more than before the renovations, city data showed.
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