The Nantou District Court has sentenced a man to a suspended prison term and compulsory environment education classes for charges related to animal abuse and illegally keeping an endangered bird species at home.
The verdict is not final.
The 61-year-old man, surnamed Wang (王), acquired a black-winged kite through unknown means and kept it in a cage at his residence until the bird caught a fatal illness, the verdict said.
Photo: Taipei Times
The black-winged kite is listed as a “class 2” protected species by the Ministry of Environment, it said.
Wang treated the bird as a pet and fed it a diet of raw meat, while neglecting a thrush infection that gradually spread from its mouth to its kidneys, it said.
The man had ample time to bring the kite to a veterinarian, but chose not to do so, despite its loss of energy, appetite and, eventually, its ability to stand upright, the verdict said.
In June, police visited Wang’s home for a separate matter and found the sick kite, which they took to a veterinarian clinic at the Jojozoo Park, which treated the bird, but to no avail, it said.
Wang’s ownership of the bird and his indifference to its suffering contravened the ban against abusing protected species, as stipulated by the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法), it said.
The man was sentenced to a suspended two-year prison term, of which he must serve 10 days, and was required to attend two classes on environmental conservation, the verdict said.
The defendant would have faced a stiffer sentence if not for his compliance with investigators, a lack of education beyond middle school and lack of any prior convictions, it said.
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