Populations of many endangered mammals are likely growing or stabilizing, although the leopard cat is still facing challenges to its survival, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said on Monday.
The agency, which was this month upgraded from the Forestry Bureau, announced the results of a year of observations from more than 300 infrared cameras set up in forests around Taiwan.
It has since 2015 commissioned the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology to build a camera network for collecting population data as a reference for conservation policymaking.
Photo courtesy of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency
Sightings indicate that the protected Formosan sambar deer, Formosan serow and yellow-throated marten populations have all increased, as have the Reeve’s muntjac, Formosan hare and Siberian weasel populations, which are not protected, the agency said.
Meanwhile, protected Formosan pangolin and civet sightings, as well as those of the Formosan wild boar and masked palm civet, have stabilized, it said.
The Formosan rock macaque, which was removed from the protected species list in 2019, has become more common across central, southern and eastern Taiwan, with the biggest population gains seen in the east, it said.
Formosan black bear sightings are also growing every year, although more data is needed to determine whether their actual numbers are up, the agency said.
However, the leopard cat is still facing many threats, the agency said.
As it mainly lives in hilly farmland, they are vulnerable to stray dog and cat attacks, vehicle collisions and habitat loss, it said.
Close monitoring in Nantou County shows a growing population density in that region, but as a whole their numbers have not yet stabilized, it said, adding that it would continue encouraging resident participation in preserving low-lying mountain species.
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