Animal protection groups yesterday called for amendments to enhance supervision over animal exhibition operations and ensure transparency, following a court ruling that found an activist guilty of privacy offenses after exposing improper animal management by Leofoo Village Theme Park (六福村主題遊樂園) in Hsinchu County.
Thirty-four civic groups joined a petition in support of Animal Skies researcher Sera Lim (林婷憶), who was convicted of offenses against privacy and sentenced to two years on probation and three sessions of legal education by the High Court.
Lim bought a ticket to the park on June 16, 2023, and began to video the bird aviary with her mobile phone after she crossed three pots of plants and a rope that separated the aviary’s private space from the public area, the ruling said.
Photo: CNA
She said that she aimed to improve the park’s backstage management of exhibited animals in line with public welfare, which should not be considered recording non-public activities “without reason” in contravention of privacy laws, it said.
However, Lim also told the court that she was at the park to investigate the living conditions of its giraffes, following the suspicious deaths of eight giraffes over the past decade, the ruling said.
Given that her videotaping of non-public activities at the bird aviary had no reasonable link to what she claimed, Lim’s appeal against her conviction by the Hsinchu District Court was denied.
Attorney Lee Chuan-he (李荃和) yesterday told a news conference that the ruling might send a negative message that discourages supervision over animal welfare and causes a chilling effect among advocates.
Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan chairman and attorney Lin Tsung-ying (林宗穎) said the ruling adopted such a strict definition of “without reason” that whistle-blowing might be constrained.
“Animals cannot speak for themselves and investigations by public welfare groups are usually the only means of unveiling the truth,” he said.
Lim did not enter the park to probe for business secrets and her investigation into different exhibits for animal welfare should have been considered legally justified, Lin said.
Taiwan Animal Equality Association chief executive officer Lin Yi-shan (林憶珊) said the park has filed lawsuits against many animal protection advocates over the past few years, which she said were “strategic lawsuits against public participation” that “did not aim for a win, but to consume defendants’ resources and suffocate dissidents.”
Life Conservation Association associate executive officer Chou Chin-shan (周瑾珊) said that local law enforcement capabilities are not sufficient to sustain supervision, calling on the Ministry of Agriculture to strengthen regulations on backstage animal management and promote transparency on animal welfare.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their
RSS