Animals

Trail closed after 4 hikers stung by hornets, one dies

people stung by Asian giant hornets
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A popular hiking trail in Ruifang District has been temporarily closed after four people were stung by Asian giant hornets in two separate incidents this weekend. A 73-year-old man named Lin and his 62-year-old wife, named Yang, were attacked by hornets while walking on the Sandiaoling Trail on September 24. Both were rushed to Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, but Ms Yang suffered an allergic reaction and organ failure and died yesterday, September 25. Mr Lin remains unconscious in the

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Two-headed snake caught on school campus

two-headed wolf snake
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A two-headed wolf snake was found by students at an elementary school in Chiayi County this morning, and it was sent to a research center for study despite a possible market value of up to a million Taiwan dollars. The Chiayi County Department of Agriculture dispatched a snake catcher to the school after receiving a report from school administrators. Students found the tiny snake while on cleaning duties at around 7:30 am on campus of Dayou Elementary School in rural

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Animal lovers left stunned after learning 154 illegally imported cats already euthanized

smuggled cats in cages
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

Animal protection groups and animal lovers had just launched a campaign to rescue 154 cats seized in an anti-smuggling operation in recent days, but were left reeling when authorities announced the animals had already been euthanized according to the law, today, August 21. Taiwan Coast Guard Administration found the cats concealed on a fishing boat intercepted off the coast of Taiwan on Thursday. The 154 cats, believed to have originated from breeders in China, were made up of rare breeds

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Coast guard intercepts cat smugglers off south Taiwan coast

fishing boat with smuggled cats
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

The coast guard intercepted a fishing boat off the coast of Tainan City, Thursday, and found around 200 cats hidden on board the vessel. Kaohsiung Coast Guard Investigation Branch had been monitoring the vessel “Shun” via radar after it left Badouzi Fishing Port in northern Taiwan August 14 and found that the Shun made contact with a Chinese fishing boat off the Penghu Islands. The coast guard intercepted the boat around 8 nautical miles off the coast of Tainan City,

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Taiwan Bear rescued from trap released after 8 month rehabilitation

Formosan black bear released into the wild
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A Formosan black bear rescued from an animal trap in Taitung County in December regained his freedom today after eight months recovering from wounds and surgery. Umas, as the bear was named, was found caught in a boar trap in the mountain district of Haiduan Township in December 2020. Estimated to be between one and two years old, Umas was found to have old and new injuries, including fractures, necrosis of his right forelimb, and gunshot wounds. After recovering from

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Fisheries chairman dead after being stung by fire ants in New Taipei City

red fire ant warning sign.
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The chairman of the Tamsui Fisheries Association of New Taipei City died after suffering suspected anaphylactic shock following an attack by red fire ants, Saturday, June 12. Zheng Kangzhong (鄭康忠), 48, was stung by the ants while on duty inspecting a road planning project at the Xiaguzi Fishing Port adjacent to the Port of Taipei, Saturday. Zheng suffered from itching and swelling after returning home, and was sent to the hospital after his symptoms worsened. Zheng was given first aid

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Groundbreaking Win: Taiwan FDA Ends Drowning, Electroshock Tests on Animals After PETA Plea

White rat in a cage
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

Press Release from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Taipei — Today, after receiving PETA’s detailed scientific critique at the agency’s private request and more than 73,000 e-mails opposing animal testing from PETA supporters during a public comment period, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) made the groundbreaking announcement that horrific drowning and electroshock tests—previously conducted on scores of vulnerable animals—are no longer allowed in order to establish anti-fatigue claims for marketing food and beverage products. According to the TFDA’s final anti-fatigue health claim regulation, companies’ marketing

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Students use BB guns to fend off thieving monkeys on university campus

student armed with BB gun watches out for monkeys as she prepares to take food delivery
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

The Kaohsiung City Agriculture Bureau said that it is not illegal for students to use BB guns to protect themselves from monkeys, after a video was shared showing a female student carrying a BB gun to take a food delivery at Sun Yat-sen University. A driver for the popular food delivery service, Foodpanda, uploaded a video to social media showing a customer coming out of the female dormitory to take delivery of her meal armed with a BB pistol. The

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Raptor family saved from wildfire thanks to live Internet broadcast

black kite nest almost engulfed in flames during wildfire, but rescued by firefighters
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

A brood of black kite (Milvus migrans) hatchlings was saved from being burned alive after researchers monitoring the bird family in preparation for a live broadcast to YouTube saw the nest about to be engulfed in flames, Tuesday, March 16. The National Pingtung University of Science and Technology Bird Ecology Lab, with the support of the Forestry Bureau set up camera equipment to monitor the nest on March 12 in preparation for a constant live broadcast for the general public

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Monkey apes human behavior after zoo visitor drops iPhone

monkey using iPhone
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Just a couple of weeks after a Formosan macaque was spotted apparently hard at work at his desk at Sun Yat-sen University, a Southeast Asian relative was recorded attempting to use an iPhone at Hsinchu Zoo, today, Sunday, February 21. Zoo visitors were amazed and delighted when a crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis) picked up a gold-colored iPhone and began to swipe, tap, and stare at the device’s screen. The monkey’s behavior appeared to mimic that of humans, although, perhaps due

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Monkey appears to be hard at work at Sun Yat-sen University

Formosan macaque at university desk
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A picture of a Formosan macaque in an office at National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung City has gone viral on social media, as it appears that the monkey is working diligently, and highly focused on the task at hand. “Currently, universities are on vacation, but look who’s at work in the communication office at Sun Yat-sen University,” Chang Morgan posted on Facebook, Wednesday, February 3. Lin Meiyin, secretary-general of the Taiwan Macaque Coexistence Promotion Association said that Sun Yat-sen

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