Pomelo farmers raise chickens for leopard cats

Pomelo farmers raise chickens for leopard cats

2024-08-30

In the mountains of Miaoli’s Xihu District, leopard cats used to break into farmers’ chicken coops to steal chickens, sometimes being killed as a result. But conservation efforts have been successful in recent years. One farmer likes these wild cats so much that he raises chickens in his pomelo orchard specifically for them to hunt. Now leopard cats frequent the orchard so often that they’ve become the symbol of local pomelos.

A leopard cat looks into the camera before turning its head to leave. They’re often caught on camera here in Xihu’s pomelo orchards because there are chickens to eat close by.

Wu Chao-yao
Chicken coop owner
We know from the camera that there are at least three leopard cats around. They come once every week or two and take one chicken.

Set up within a pomelo orchard, the coop’s camera captures two reflective eyes peering at the chickens inside. The owner originally set up a net to keep the leopard cats from getting inside, but later removed it. Unlike most chicken farmers, he decided to raise chickens specially for the cats so they don’t go hungry.

Wu Chao-yao
Chicken coop owner
I do this because I like leopard cats. I love them a lot. I raised these chickens myself this year specifically for them.

Local residents and farmers in Xihu want to protect leopard cats. Since they’re often seen in pomelo orchards, farmers switched to organic and non-toxic farming methods, fostering an environment of coexistence between leopard cats and humans. They’ve been doing this for 13 years.

Chang Chia-jung
Farmer
You want to cultivate the grass. It can’t be cut. It should grow up to knee height.

Miaoli has 400 hectares of pomelo orchards, and Xihu is home to a major part of them. Local farmers made leopard cat designs for their bags and boxes, turning the wild cat into a symbol of their organic produce.

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果園養雞開放石虎捕食西湖特色"石虎柚"友善環境

2024-08-30

苗栗縣西湖鄉的山區，過去經常有石虎，闖進農民雞舍偷吃雞，很容易遭到誤殺；近年來保育有成，當地有一位雞農，因為喜歡石虎，在柚子園內養雞，開放給石虎隨時來捕食；柚子園經常有石虎出沒，「石虎柚」成為當地的特產。

石虎發現了前方的監視錄影機，轉頭想離開，這是位在西湖鄉一處柚子園附近的監視器，拍下的石虎身影，石虎會在這裡出沒，也是因為柚子園裡有雞可吃。

[[合作雞舍負責人吳兆耀]]
“(目前)知道、目測檢查，(石虎)至少有三隻以上，大概一、兩個禮拜才會來一次，(一次抓)一隻雞。”

柚子園內雞舍的監視器，拍到兩顆發光的眼睛，石虎正對裡面的雞虎視眈眈，雞舍的主人說，原本雞舍為了防止石虎侵襲，架設的軟網，現在已經被他拆除，因為他和其他雞農不一樣，他養雞就是為了讓石虎，不要餓肚子。

[[合作雞舍負責人吳兆耀]]
“我的做法是，就是我喜歡石虎，我愛石虎，愛得很愛。石虎雞就是我今年，我自己養的，我是專門養給牠(石虎)。”

居民認同石虎保育，柚子園內經常有石虎出沒，西湖柚農，乾脆改用有機無毒種植，友善環境，讓石虎和人類共存，今年已經邁入第13年。

[[西湖柚農張家榮]]
“就是你要草生栽培，草是不能割的，草要長到膝蓋這麼長。”

苗栗縣種植文旦柚有400公頃，西湖鄉是主要產地，柚農也自己繪製石虎圖案，當作水果禮盒，推廣在地有機農作。

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