Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters, with the aim of preserving the valuable ecological resources and ensuring the survival of endangered wild animals in the medium and high altitude mountain regions stipulates, in the “Prohibitions inside Shei-Pa National Park”, that “Pets are not allowed into the ecological protected and landscape protected areas”, and “Feeding of wild animals and releasing and abandoning of animals into the Park are strictly prohibited”. Recently, cases of animal rabies have appeared in Taiwan’s low altitude mountain areas. To prevent causing harm to the wild animals, the headquarters once again appeals to the public not to bring pets, such as cats and dogs, into the ecological protected and landscape protected areas of the Park. Feeding of the wild animals and releasing and abandoning of animals into the Park are strictly prohibited.
Rabies is a zoonotic infectious disease, and its pathogen is the rabies virus. It will cause acute encephalitis and peripheral nerve inflammation to the animal, and has an extremely high fatality rate. Among mammals, animals including primates, carnivores and Chiroptera (such as Taiwanese macaque, ferret-badger, bat, etc.) could catch the disease if bitten by infected animals. However, as long as vaccination is received in time, death can be prevented.
Director of Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters, Mr. Lin Ching, appeals to the public that, to maintain the safety of wild animals and also your own pets: feeding of wild animals and releasing and abandoning of animals into the Park are strictly prohibited; pets are not allowed into the ecological protected and landscape protected areas of the Park; pets should receive rabies and canine distemper vaccinations on a regular basis; and pets should be leashed upon entering the general limited use and recreation areas of the Park to prevent them from running freely and disturbing wild animals and/or causing infection. By avoiding contact with the wild animals, you not only protect your own pets, but the animals in the mountains too.
It is worth mentioning that, the Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters has been in cross-agency cooperation with National Taiwan University Veterinary Hospital since 2011, giving free tubal ligation and vaccination for dogs and cats in Taichung’s Wuling region and neighboring tribes. From 2011 to 2012, a total of 167 cats and dogs have received tubal ligation and vaccination. As these animals are close to areas where wild animals appear, there is a possibility for them to become disease carriers. To prevent the unlimited breeding of these cats and dogs and spreading diseases to wild animals, the Headquarters, with the help of professional veterinary units, carries out tubal ligation and vaccination, having informed the Wuling region and neighboring tribes. Shei-Pa National ParkHeadquarters will continue to carry out this project to effectively stop the over-breeding of dogs and cats, as well as to stop them from being potential carriers. It also advocates the conservation concepts related to wild animals to the neighboring tribal people, and hopes that the public can abide by the relevant regulations when entering the national park. In the future, adjustments may be made according to the development of the epidemic.