City councilor urges rat population monitoring amid hantavirus scare

City councilor urges rat population monitoring amid hantavirus scare

2026-05-07

Just how many rats are there in Taipei today? That’s a question City Councilor Miao Po-ya posed during a hearing with city officials Wednesday. According to Miao, Taipei used to have a regular rat monitoring program, but after it was deemed obsolete in 2015, the city has gone without an alternative. Mayor Chiang Wan-an in response said that there isn’t a nation-wide protocol for local governments. However, with recent sightings around the city and hantavirus cases, Taipei would do well with regular rat population monitoring and control measures.

A local resident in Taipei’s Da’an District has been documenting the number of rats they’ve caught on glue traps set up at home since November last year.

Voice of local resident
Da’an District, Taipei
A few years ago, there were one or two occasions of seeing a rat or two coming into our home. We thought our home was an isolated case, but later we realized that it was really unusual. It’s been really frequent.

Their sixth-floor apartment in Taipei’s Da’an District has been infested with rats for about half a year now. They also say that they can often feel rats entering their home while watching television in the living room. Moreover, the rats have learnt to survive and now know not to ingest rat poison placed around their home, leaving them no choice but to lay down glue traps all over the apartment. Since September last year, they’ve caught nearly 20 rats in total.

Voice of Local Resident
Da’an District, Taipei
We’ve filed a report, but we’re not sure what kind of help we’ll get. I don’t exactly know how many rats there are in my home, so I can only stay vigilant and place glue traps in the meantime.

At least six rats are huddling here at a parking lot, near Shilin Night Market, with pigeons lingering around them.

Over at Taipei Zoo, a toco toucan was seen flinging a large rat around with its beak. An alarmed visitor reported the bizarre sighting to zoo keepers, who say they’re dealing with the problem as an emergency. But how many rats exactly are there in Taipei? How has the population changed? City Councilor Miao Po-ya says that they didn’t hear any specific numbers cited during the city government’s press conference on Tuesday.

Miao Po-ya (May 6)
Taipei City Councilor (SDP)
Is there not a single expert around you? Or have you not bothered to consult experts?

Chiang Wan-an (May 6)
Taipei Mayor
You’re referencing a methodology from 20 years ago. Experts now believe the estimation made with it is in fact, inaccurate.

Miao Po-ya (May 6)
Taipei City Councilor (SDP)
Of course, if you’re not making an estimation, then the number of rats won’t increase, because you’re not monitoring the rat population at all.

Mayor Chiang Wan-an said that the central government does not have a rat monitoring protocol for local governments, while Miao said Taipei used to have its own methodology. They said it was deemed obsolete in 2015, but there still isn’t an alternative. Meanwhile, Hong Kong media am750 published an article urging travelers in Greater Taipei to avoid unhygienic areas amid recent hantavirus cases.

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei Mayor
Be it the Ministry of Health and Welfare or the Centers for Disease Control, central government agencies have repeatedly stated that there isn’t a worsening trend of hantavirus in Taipei.

After 12 years without, it seems that it’s time for Taipei to implement rat population monitoring again, especially with the recent hantavirus cases and rat sightings.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#rats #hantavirus #publichealth #diseasecontrol #pestcontrol

北市大安區居民"捕獲近20隻老鼠" 港媒示警:旅遊小心鼠患

2026-05-07

台北市的鼠患問題越來越嚴重，很多人說會不會是人造鼠、或是南鼠北送，一位住在大安區的居民，就自曝，從去年以來，已經抓了快要20隻老鼠，原本以為只是偶然，卻頻繁到不太正常，就連香港媒體都報導，呼籲港人來台北旅遊，得小心鼠患!

民眾拍下從去年年底到今年，黏鼠板上一隻隻老鼠。

[[聲源:鼠患受災戶(變音處理)]]
“幾年前有過一兩次，會有老鼠一隻，兩隻跑進來這樣，原本認為說這個是我們家的個案，後來發現很不平常，太頻繁了。”

住在台北市大安區民宅6樓，但陷入鼠災已經持續半年，當地居民說，在客廳看電視，也能感受到老鼠來了，而且投放老鼠藥，不吃，只能沿路放黏鼠板，從去年9月到現在，已經抓到將近20隻。

[[聲源:鼠患受災戶(變音處理)]]
“我們並不知道我們通報之後，會得到什麼樣的幫助，我現在家裡面，因為我不知道家裡到底有多少老鼠，所以現在都還是嚴陣以待(放黏鼠板)。”

士林夜市附近停車場，放眼望去，至少6隻老鼠群聚，還有鳥類在旁邊。

台北市立動物園大巨嘴鳥沒在怕，叼著巨鼠狂甩猛甩，嚇得遊客趕緊通報，園方緊急處理，但台北市的老鼠，變多？還是變少？議員苗博雅說，市長的報告中沒看到任何數據，唯一數字只有1999這支電話。

[[北市議員(社民) 苗博雅]]
“你身邊到底是沒有半個專家，還是你沒有去請教專家?”

[[台北市長蔣萬安(05.06)]]
“這將近20年以前的做法，(專家)他們認為這樣的推估，其實不是準確的。”

[[北市議員(社民) 苗博雅(05.06)]]
“當然啊沒有去推估，老鼠就不會變多啊，因為你根本沒有在監測。”

蔣市長滅鼠，再把責任推給中央，但馬上被打臉。連港媒也關注台北鼠患，提醒香港人來台北、新北旅遊，要小心漢他病毒，盡量別去衛生環境惡劣地區。

[[台北市長蔣萬安]]
“衛福部也好，疾管署也好，都多次出來強調，台北市的疫情並沒有升溫的趨勢。”

北市12年沒做老鼠監測調查，現在老鼠密度似乎已經產生變化，如何滅鼠成了頭痛課題。

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Traditional Chinese medicine shops are quickly disappearing. Once numbering between 20 and 30,000 in their heyday, there are now only a few more than 7,000 left. Facing extinction, some practitioners of this old profession are steering their businesses in new directions. After taking over the family business, some young entrepreneurs are focusing on revamping their storefronts and packaging. Others are putting a bold new spin on TCM by incorporating the ingredients into desserts, introducing ancient medical wisdom to new generations.

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Smoked plum and chocolate are both very sharp flavors. Aside from smoked plum, I add things like roselle, osmanthus, hawthorn, or other medicinal herbs to strike a balance.

Owner Wang Sen-pin has been running this TCM shop for 39 years. Now, one small corner has transformed into a bakery. Five years ago, 35-year-old Wang Hsin-ying returned home to join the family business. Guided by the concept that food and medicine share the same origin, she incorporates Chinese medicinal herbs into Western desserts.

Wang Hsin-ying
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I like to eat and make desserts. So I thought I’d try out combining medicinal herbs with desserts.

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Chou Tung-yen
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I want young people to feel that going to get products with traditional Chinese medicine is a source of pride. Using medicinal herbs is no longer considered commonplace.

From selling through the community and online, to designing a distinctive website, Chou approaches every step with precision. Before graduating, he tried his hand at becoming a rapper. After college he switched to the fashion industry. But he said he never imagined he’d come home to take over the family business.

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Modern times aren’t like before. People used to visit TCM shops to treat illness. Now they’re places for wellness.

Chou gradually renovated the shop’s lighting, decor, and display arrangements, while taking pains to preserve classic elements like the wooden sign and rows of herb jars. The key to enabling ancient wisdom to coexist with modern sensibilities may just lie with this crop of talented young entrepreneurs.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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T91 rifle fast-response shooting added to new recruit curriculum

Over the past few years, the Ministry of National Defense has been updating firearm training for army recruits to focus on combat realism. Moving away from shooting in a fixed prone position, starting in 2024, “fast-response shooting” was added to the curriculum. New recruits must sprint 125 meters toward cover and cycle through prone, kneeling, and standing positions. They must also hit a certain number of targets within a 1-minute and 45-second time limit.

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Every shooter is given 36 live rounds and one dummy round. During the drill, the shooter must land at least six rounds on each of three different targets to pass.

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For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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US reiterates stance on Taiwan Strait ahead of Trump-Xi summit

US President Donald Trump is set to visit China next week and meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. In Taiwan, the debate is heating up about whether the talks will touch on Taiwan. More so whether any discussions on the matter could be affected by Taiwan’s repeated delays in approving a proposed NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget bill, which includes arms procurement from the US. Lawmakers from Taiwan’s ruling and opposition parties consulted National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen on the matter on Thursday. Tsai noted that the US had made an unusual move, having Secretary of State Marco Rubio host a press conference to reaffirm Washington’s stance on Taiwan before Trump and Xi meet. Let’s hear more.

Huang Jen
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Regarding the ROC’s arms procurements: has there been discussions behind closed doors?

Tsai Ming-yen
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The CCP may attempt to manipulate the Taiwan issue during the talks. At yesterday’s press conference Rubio reiterated that the US position is that nothing that would undermine peace and stability in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region should happen.

Chen Chun-yu
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The defense budget is still stuck in negotiations. Lai’s visit to our diplomatic ally in Africa, Eswatini, could also indirectly affect the bargaining leverage during the Trump-Xi summit.

Tsai Ming-yen
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We are preparing different scenario scripts on how to respond if the CCP increases its pressure on Taiwan via political means, military intimidation or cognitive warfare.

Wang Ting-yu
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What kind of risks could Taiwan face if the arms procurement package cannot be passed, or at least settled, before the summit?

Tsai Ming-yen
National Security Bureau
Taiwan is the very core of the First Island Chain. If we cannot demonstrate the determination to defend ourselves, it could lead others to question Taiwan’s commitment to self-defense. Secondly, it could become a weak point in the entire regional defense system. This is a strategic-level issue. Of course, we hope the arms procurement package will be passed as soon as possible, because that would quell doubts that others may have about Taiwan.

The national security official added that the bureau was monitoring any intelligence concerning Beijing’s approach to discussing Taiwan during the Trump-Xi meeting.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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14 cats rehomed after owner gets hospitalized for 10 days

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A grey-and-white munchkin cat balances on the rim of the toilet, which is full of dirty water and bugs. The kitty hears the warnings, but goes in for another sip.

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Lin Chih-cheng
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When we went to rescue the cats, we found two of them had made their way into the hollow space in the ceiling and got trapped in the wall. With the landlord’s permission, we sent a team to tear down the wall and get the cats out.

Two cats tried to escape to the neighbor’s unit via the hollow in the ceiling, and refused to come out. Neighbors noticed something was wrong, and called animal protection officials on Tuesday. With thermal imaging devices and the landlord’s permission, they pinpointed their locations and tore down the wall to rescue the two calico cats. All 14 felines have since been taken to a shelter.

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From what we know, their owner suffered a traffic accident and was hospitalized without being able to go back home for 10 days. With nobody to care for the cats, they just roamed and paced around hungrily.

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Mobile pop-up night markets a trend in Yilan

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The outer skin of these gua bao are deep-fried until they are a caramel color, then they are stuffed with a variety of fillings. The crispy savory textures of these fried gua bao have caused many people to become regular customers after just one taste.

Crispy, golden-brown fried pork ribs are also incredibly popular. The secret to their deliciousness is that the owner first rubs the meat with a secret sauce and marinates it, before frying it.

- Do you prefer regular night markets or pop-ups?
- Pop-ups
- Why?
- They’re more unique.

Located in Dongshan, Qinggou Night Market is lined with food stalls on both sides of the road, all run by mobile vendors. Yilan is known for its delicious food, and now, from Monday to Sunday, there’s a different night market every day. This woman is the driving force behind the booming night market scene.

Each corner is carefully inspected and the ground needs to be scrubbed. All vendors are required to take their kitchen waste with them. Lin Mei-li, 68, started out by selling hair accessories at Yilan’s Dongmen Night Market. To expand her base of customers, she went from having a small stall to being a night market promoter.

Lin Mei-li
Lanyang Night Market
Back then, mobile night markets weren’t very popular, but we thought it was better to go find the customers rather than wait for them to come to us. Before, it wasn’t on such a large scale. There used to be dozens of stalls, now there are over one hundred.

With great power comes great responsibility. When Lin turns on her phone, all her contacts are related to night markets.

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Mobile night market vendor
Her job is actually very important because she has to keep everyone in order at the Qinggou Night Market, as well as do cleaning, maintenance and traffic control.

Chu Chun-hao
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Without management, things will definitely fall into chaos. The staff help her but she must have a very tough time. Nobody wants to do these things because you’ll get scolded for them. Every decision she makes will affect someone else.

From recruiting vendors and coordinating venues to even handling the final cleanup, Lin Mei-li is essential to bringing every mobile night market in Yilan to life. She hopes to keep the mobile night markets going and support the local economy.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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