Famous Taipei Park Faces Fat Squirrel Problem

A famous Taipei park has a literal big squirrel problem.

Transcript

00:00 If the mere sound of a rustling food package attracts a swarm of squirrels to you, then

00:06 you might be in Taipei's Da'an Forest Park. These furry critters have gotten used to people

00:10 feeding them, and it's beginning to show. The park's squirrel population has surged,

00:16 and the animals themselves are getting chunkier.

00:17 We would take bread crumbs and a group of squirrels would come around. But if you eat

00:24 bread, there's more sugar. So now the squirrels here look pretty fat.

00:28 In general parks, there are squirrels. But there are too many of them.

00:35 Park authorities have urged people not to feed the local wildlife, but to little effect.

00:40 Now they've installed cameras and are punishing the behavior with fines.

00:44 We installed cameras on the 28th of November. We have a video of the squirrels every day.

00:51 We have a video of the squirrels every day. We have a video of the squirrels every day.

00:58 Though people feeding animals in the park think they might be doing good, they're actually

01:03 doing harm.

01:03 There are 6,600 squirrels in the park, and there are all kinds of different plants. If

01:10 you don't treat them with love, you're affecting their activities and their ability to hide.

01:20 According to estimates, Da'an Forest Park is home to 600 squirrels. The ideal population

01:25 is 200. Such overpopulation could wreak havoc on the park's delicate ecosystem.

01:31 So keep an eye on your lunch next time you visit.

01:34 Howard Zang and Leslie Liao for Taiwan Plus.

01:36 [BLANK_AUDIO]