Kinmen Wild Animal Rescue Station in Need
A wild animal rescue station in Kinmen is struggling with lack of resources and manpower while the number of injured animals brought in continues to grow.
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00:00 This Burmese python is having its wound cleaned
00:03 and a fresh bandage applied
00:05 after it was rescued from being caught in a fishing net.
00:09 It's being treated at this animal rescue center,
00:12 the only one here in the outlying Jingmen Islands,
00:15 Taiwan's closest point to China.
00:17 The person caring for all the needy animals is Chen Ting,
00:20 the center's sole veterinarian.
00:23 She's been working here since 2022.
00:25 "I feel that the wildlife here has accompanied me through my growth.
00:32 I feel that if I have the ability now,
00:35 I would like to face the difficulties that they face in the wild."
00:39 The shelter was established in 2015.
00:42 In the eight years since,
00:44 the number of injured animals the center treats has grown rapidly.
00:48 In its first full year, it treated 200 animals.
00:51 Seven years later, it saw 700.
00:54 To date, the center has handled over 2,800 cases,
00:58 with the only vet specializing in wild animals in the county.
01:01 There aren't many large animals in Jingmen,
01:03 so most of the ones that end up here are small.
01:06 Around 80% of them are birds and 20% are snakes.
01:11 "Most of the birds here are the Chuyou birds,
01:14 which were found during the maintenance of the trees
01:17 or when the air was cleaned.
01:20 They were sent to us.
01:22 The snakes are the most vulnerable.
01:26 There are some fish nets for the chickens."
01:30 Another threat to the wild animals in Jingmen
01:32 are the county's many roads,
01:34 with cars often striking them as they try to cross.
01:38 Since she started, Chun says,
01:39 she's found working at the rescue center extremely rewarding.
01:43 "I'm very touched.
01:45 The animals can live well.
01:46 That's the biggest goal of saving wild animals."
01:49 But it hasn't been easy.
01:51 Chun says it's frustrating when locals react to snakes
01:54 released back into the wild.
01:56 "When we release snakes, we sometimes touch them secretly.
01:58 I feel sorry for the snakes.
02:01 They are all important species in this ecosystem.
02:05 They are all indispensable."
02:08 She also worries about Jingmen's local ecology.
02:11 The region has been developing rapidly in recent years,
02:14 with many new houses and roads.
02:17 This has destroyed habitats for much of the local wildlife.
02:21 But Chun has hope for the future.
02:23 She wants the center to recruit more staff
02:25 and buy better equipment.
02:26 Most importantly, she wants to help educate the locals
02:29 more about animals and their welfare.
02:31 "I hope the people can know more about the animals around them.
02:36 The animals we send in here
02:39 are often injured by human factors."
02:43 Chun and her staff of three work seven days a week
02:46 to keep the animals here safe.
02:48 And if she doesn't do it, no one else will.
02:51 Alex Chun, NZEN 1, for Tawan Plus.
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