I am writing in response to recent adverse comment on Taipei Zoo.
From my own knowledge this criticism is justified. And, although there are some mitigating factors, the situation is an appalling indictment of the zoo's management.
For a modern, well-funded zoo to keep an animal, namely a chimpanzee (`Siao Chiang'), in cramped, solitary confinement for nine years simply because he was intelligent enough to manage to escape on two occasions and also misbehaved, is inexcusable.
Although the zoo has used a lack of funds as justification, there has been sufficient funding available to construct an enormously expensive Panda House and adjoining buildings (which are now a white elephant as these animals are not coming to Taiwan), and a sea of concrete and garish buildings which, however appealing they are to visitors, appear to have been constructed at the expense of the animals.
There were funds enough to buy false trees to replace the natural ones cut down. I could go on ad infinitum, however, I will just say that the current orangutans on exhibit, which are totally arboreal in nature, are housed in an enclosure more suitable for the African rock hyrax.
However, there are two sides to every coin. In respect of the pandas, where politics raises its ugly head, the chimps I saw shivering in the recent winter cold are, despite having a DNA and molecular structure similar to humans, not the economic draw pandas are and all zoos are subject to the exhibit value of their animals.
Also, the zoo authorities are not masters of their own fate -- they are controlled by the Taipei City Council, which appears to be reluctant to loosen its purse strings, at least where the animals' welfare is concerned. On a recent visit to the zoo, together with an associate, the zoo staff promised to carry out he improvements we suggested, and credit must be given to them because they are trying their best although their hands are tied, at least for now, where budgetary matters are concerned.
As a longtime resident of Taiwan, I am most concerned with the nation's image abroad, and I feel the Taiwan's interests would be better served by a committee to oversee all aspects of the zoo.
Local academics in relevant fields and representatives of international wildlife agencies could act as observers and advisors, without political interference.
The criterion governing every decision should be a balanced concern for both visitors to the zoo and its animal inhabitants. A member of this committee could act as a zoo press officer to ensure that Taipei Zoo gets fair media coverage both locally and overseas.
The zoo is an enormous success financially, with a huge budget, millions of visitors and all the necessary expertise. It should, and can, be able to avoid criticism.
Charles Shuttleworth
Representative in Taiwan, International Primate
Protection League
Taipei County
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
If you had a vision of the future where China did not dominate the global car industry, you can kiss those dreams goodbye. That is because US President Donald Trump’s promised 25 percent tariff on auto imports takes an ax to the only bits of the emerging electric vehicle (EV) supply chain that are not already dominated by Beijing. The biggest losers when the levies take effect this week would be Japan and South Korea. They account for one-third of the cars imported into the US, and as much as two-thirds of those imported from outside North America. (Mexico and Canada, while
The military is conducting its annual Han Kuang exercises in phases. The minister of national defense recently said that this year’s scenarios would simulate defending the nation against possible actions the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) might take in an invasion of Taiwan, making the threat of a speculated Chinese invasion in 2027 a heated agenda item again. That year, also referred to as the “Davidson window,” is named after then-US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Philip Davidson, who in 2021 warned that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had instructed the PLA to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. Xi in 2017
RSS