One Family - Protecting the Leopard Cat

With less than five hundred leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) remaining in the whole of Taiwan, sixty percent of which live in the intensively populated and farmed county of Miaoli, the animal has been officially placed on a list of endangered species. In a bid to address the situation, Miaoli County Environmental Protection Bureau has entrusted the job of protecting the elusive leopard cat with Miaoli County Society for Wildlife and Nature (苗栗縣自然生態報育學會). Zhusen Community in Tongluo Township, which has spared no effort in protecting the leopard cat, recently raised “One Family - Protecting the Leopard Cat”, a special eco study seminar aimed at elementary school students in the local activity center. 

During the activity, volunteers wore leopard cat costumes and the kids played the role of agile and athletic young leopard cats. After entering the habitat where leopard cats were once photographed; getting familiarized with the forest where they once played and hunted; observing the place where humans and leopard cats lived together; playing games on the land; and enjoying a guided tour of the leopard cat museum, everyone discussed ways in which humans could perhaps live in harmony with the leopard cat. It is hoped that this practical eco activity will help children understand the importance of protecting the leopard cat. Through on-site observation and practical activities like painting the leopard cat’s habitat, the group of forty children from all over Taiwan that participated in the event learned that by protecting the leopard cat’s habitat we are in fact protecting our own living environment and food safety.

One Family - Protecting the Leopard Cat

URL：https://www.peopo.org/news/333231

(以下是中文對照)

守護石虎一家親

全台灣只剩不到五百隻的石虎(豹貓)，是被列為瀕臨絕種的物種之一，有超過六成就居住在苗栗縣內，牠們生活的地方也是人們居住與耕作的區域，為此，苗栗縣環保局特別委託苗栗縣自然生態學會，在對石虎保育方面不遺餘力的銅鑼鄉竹森社區，在社區活動中心舉辦針對國小學童的「守護石虎一家親」生態遊學特色環境教育活動。

活動中，志工們身穿石虎裝，小朋友們也都成為身手矯捷的小石虎，進入曾經拍到石虎蹤影的棲息地，認識石虎玩耍和打獵的森林，觀察石虎和人們一起生活的地方，透過大地遊戲，石虎資料館的解說，大家一起討論要如何與石虎和諧共處，讓小朋友們藉由生態體驗活動，了解石虎保育的重要性。活動一共有來自全台各地的四十位小學生參與，同學們透過實地觀察、討論、動手做、畫出石虎的家，保護好石虎的棲地，就是保護好我們的生活環境與食物安全。