Protecting the leopard cat - Rebuilding chicken coops to reduce conflict

Since 2008, the leopard cat has been classified as a level 1 endangered species in Taiwan. In recent years, due to overexploitation and destruction of natural habitats, many leopard cats have left the low-lying mountains and hills of Miaoli to forage for food in more populated areas, often killing domestically reared chickens. This forced local poultry farmers to employ primitive methods such as trapping cages to catch leopard cats, many of which were accidentally injured in the process. To reduce conflict with poultry farmers, the Leopard Cat Association of Taiwan (石虎保育協會) has sought funding for a chicken coop reconstruction project.

While reconstructing the chicken coups, volunteers from the Leopard Cat Association of Taiwan explain the leopard cat’s preferred climbing routes and habits to poultry farmers. It is hoped that through such measures humankind and the leopard cat find a way to live in harmony.  

以下為中文對照

保育石虎 雞舍改建減少衝突

自2008年起，石虎被台灣列為第I級的「瀕臨絕種保育類動物」，棲息地多處在苗栗淺山、丘陵一帶的石虎，近年來因為棲地受到過度開發與破壞，而離開棲地闖入雞舍覓食。當地養禽戶為了減少雞只的損失，被迫以捕獸籠等原始方式進行捕捉，卻因此誤傷了石虎。為了解決雞舍與養禽戶的衝突，石虎保育協會期望透過雞舍改建計劃的資助，進一步化解農民與石虎之間的誤會。

石虎保育協會在進行計劃的過程中，會說明石虎的攀爬途徑與習性，透過雞舍的進行改建，是目前人類與石虎之間取得平衡意義的最好方式。