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.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
RSS