TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Yushan National Park said a nighttime patrol discovered a group of photographers suspected of baiting a Himalayan owl with live mice and flash photography on Monday (April 15).
The park office said it had zero tolerance for inappropriate filming of wild animals and other activities that disturb its natural environment. The Himalayan owl is a category II rare and valuable species.
It is breeding season, making any human interference at this time particularly damaging to the species.
A night patrol to prevent poaching discovered photographers in the parking lot adjacent to Dongpu Mountain Trail near Cross-Island Highway. The group had professional cameras, long lenses, and flash equipment, per CNA.
One individual was found with live mice, and park officials said using mice or other food to lure wild animals can result in damage to the animal. They reminded the photographers that the risk of injuring the animal is not as valuable as a photograph.
The park also said that baiting wild animals is unethical. Nature photographers are asked to be patient and respectfully observe animals from a distance.
Park authorities warned that harassing behavior such as trapping, baiting, and photographing wild animals violates Article 18 of the Wildlife Conservation Act, with a maximum fine of NT$500,000 (US$15,446).
The Himalayan owl typically measures just 40 centimeters in length, has yellow-white spots on its shoulder feathers, and has a yellow-brown belly with dense, dark brown criss-cross markings. It feeds on rodents and birds and is found in Taiwanese forests at high altitudes around 1,800 meters above sea level, such as Yushan, Taroko, and Shei-Pa National Park.
