Man illegally keeps a horde of rare and valuable animal species

Man illegally keeps a horde of rare and valuable animal species

2026-06-23

The Seventh Special Police Corps were tipped off on a New Taipei man who was rearing a host of nationally protected wildlife species. The man showed off the poached creatures via social media posts, and when the authorities showed up they found everything from a collared scops owl locked up in a small cage to a Formosan rock macaque tied up in the bathroom. The animals were sent to be seen by veterinarians and the poacher will be tried in court.

The police are searching through this home, and what they find is heart-breaking: a variety of wild birds are locked up in a row of cages stacked waist-high.

And then there’s this collared scops owl; boasting big, bright eyes and a round face, this owl species is designated as one of Taiwan’s rare and valuable species. When it spots the police have arrived, its eyes look both hopeful and helpless. The owl has been kept in this small cage for a long time, causing it to be malnourished and so weak that it struggles to feed itself. When an officer tells the poacher this, the man responds by claiming that he is an animal lover.

-You can’t raise these animals.
-You have so many animals here.
-I love animals. There’s people who give them to me.

The list of suffering animals is not just limited to birds; the police open the bathroom to find a Formosan rock macaque tied up with a dog leash. The monkey looks petrified as it cowers in a corner.

The Seventh Special Police Corps were tipped off about a man in New Taipei who had posted videos of nationally protected species that he shared to social media platforms. In the posts, the animals looked to be mistreated. After gathering evidence, the police and animal protection officers went to the man’s residence, where they found the monkey, protected owl species, and other wild bird species, like a Formosan whistling thrush and Asian emerald dove.

Tsai Shang-tzu
Seventh Special Police Corps
After we completed our investigation, the suspect Mr. Chung was charged with violating the Act on Wildlife Conservation, and, therefore, the case will be sent to the district prosecutors office.

Yang Shu-fang
New Taipei animal protection office
The collared scops owl was sent to a vet and is currently receiving care. Once its health improves, it’ll be released into the wild. The emerald dove was quite healthy, and so it’s already been released into the wild. The Formosan rock macaque is currently being evaluated.

The police reminds the public that the Act on Wildlife Conservation prohibits the capturing and raising of wild animals, which is punishable up to a fine of NT$300,000. As for hunting and killing wild animals, violators face up to five years in prison in addition to a maximum fine of NT$1 million.

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