Prosecutors in Pingtung County have arrested a man suspected of killing a Formosan black bear, while an investigation into several alleged accomplices is ongoing.
A man surnamed Yen (顏), a resident of Pingtung’s Wutai Township (霧台), was apprehended during a police raid on Friday last week, after reports of illegal poaching and killing of wild animals.
The carcasses and body parts of a Formosan black bear, a Formosan sambar deer, a Taiwanese serow and wild goats were found in a freezer in Yen’s home.
Photo: CNA
After questioning, Yen was released on bail of NT$200,000.
He faces pending charges of contravening the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法).
The raid was conducted by Pingtung County head prosecutor Chang Chun-hsiang (張鈞翔) together with local police officers, and they also seized a modified rifle.
A video of Yen and other Wutai residents started to circulate online yesterday, showing two scooter riders holding a dead bear between them as they drove down a road, while a man holding a rifle, allegedly Yen, sat in the rear seat of a scooter behind them.
The video sparked outrage, as people demanded justice to be brought to all the alleged accomplices.
Due to the additional evidence in the video, prosecutors yesterday said they would re-investigate the case, and would question the alleged accomplices of illegal poaching.
Some people criticized the law that only allows indigenous people to own rifles for hunting, but under restricted conditions, such as conforming to local practices and registering the arms with the local police station.
“I also got angry when seeing the video... We give respect to indigenous people’s hunting culture, but they also must obey our the nation’s legal statues,” Pingtung County Commissioner Pan Men-an (潘孟安) said yesterday.
“The Formosan black bear is a protected species, it is in serious decline with very few left, and should not be hunted. Police have focused on the suspects, and are investigating the case,” Pan said.
“As citizens of Taiwan, no matter where people live, we must protect these wild animals. Killing of protected species is not allowed in Taiwan,” Pan added.
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
PLANNED: The suspect visited the crime scene before the killings, seeking information on how to access the roof, and had extensively researched a 2014 stabbing incident The suspect in a stabbing attack that killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei on Friday had planned the assault and set fires at other locations earlier in the day, law enforcement officials said yesterday. National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said the suspect, a 27-year-old man named Chang Wen (張文), began the attacks at 3:40pm, first setting off smoke bombs on a road, damaging cars and motorbikes. Earlier, Chang Wen set fire to a rental room where he was staying on Gongyuan Road in Zhongzheng District (中正), Chang Jung-hsin said. The suspect later threw smoke grenades near two exits
Taiwan has overtaken South Korea this year in per capita income for the first time in 23 years, IMF data showed. Per capita income is a nation’s GDP divided by the total population, used to compare average wealth levels across countries. Taiwan also beat Japan this year on per capita income, after surpassing it for the first time last year, US magazine Newsweek reported yesterday. Across Asia, Taiwan ranked fourth for per capita income at US$37,827 this year due to sustained economic growth, the report said. In the top three spots were Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong, it said. South
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
RSS