Baboon running loose in north Taiwan
狒狒在北台灣亂跑
| Primate fears no humans except Leofoo Village veterinarians in uniform
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A baboon thought to have escaped from Leofoo Village Theme Park has been on the loose for nearly two weeks in northern Taiwan, eluding all attempts at capture. The olive baboon (Papio anubis) was sighted in Taoyuan City's Pingzhen District over 13 days. It has been observed eating fruits and vegetables, and has not harmed any humans. Taoyuan's Animal Protection Office said the plan was to dispatch staff and capture the primate with a cage trap first, and if that failed, veterinarians would use a tranquilizer dart. After conducting an investigation, the office did not find any registration documentation for baboons in Taoyuan. Officials believe the monkey may have been abandoned by someone in a bordering country or city. Huang Chih-chieh (黃志杰), borough chief of Pingzhen's Xingli neighborhood, was cited by CNA as saying that on March 10, the baboon was spotted in a factory. On March 18, Huang received notification of the incident, and he contacted Leofoo Village Theme Park, in neighboring Hsinchu County, to dispatch veterinarians to capture the monkey. The baboon is about 110 centimeters tall and weighs around 20 kilograms. An individual who assisted in the efforts to capture the animal said that it is not afraid of humans. However, when the Leofoo Village Theme Park veterinarians appeared in their uniforms, it ran away. According to the latest report, the baboon has fled to Xinwu Meigao Road, Section 3. Leofoo Village officials said that on March 18, it received a report that a baboon had escaped, and the park requested support in trapping the animal. As to whether the primate had escaped from Leofoo Village, the park claimed none of its baboons were missing. Leofoo Village added that because it has experience trapping animals, the park dispatched personnel to assist in capturing the creature. The Forestry Bureau said there are 10 olive baboons registered at Taipei Zoo, 150 yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus), eight Hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryads), and five olive baboons registered at Leofoo Village, and five Hamadryas baboons registered at the Kaohsiung City Shou Shan Zoo. None of these facilities have reported any of their baboons missing, per TVBS News. According to Article 37 of the Wildlife Conservation Act (野保法), endangered and rare wild animals should be properly managed during breeding and should not be allowed to escape. If so, the animal's owner should report the incident to local authorities and assist in capturing it. Those who break the law will face fines of between NT$10,000 (US$329) and NT$50,000. |
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| Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer | |
| 2023-03-23 |
