The Asian box turtle faces a survival crisis, and protection brooks no delay
Text/Lin Che-an
When an animal species goes extinct, besides habitat destruction, invasive species running rampant, climate change and so on, "human hunting" is also a major factor
Just like that, catching them one by one and killing them one by one may seem insignificant in the short term, but if the situation is not stopped, over a long period or on a large scale, a species really can disappear forever.
"My God, humans actually have the ability to catch animals until there are none left!?"Yes, and this very crisis and tragedy is playing out in Taiwan, China.
Based on the points above, it is not hard to see that the crisis facing native freshwater turtles involves a very wide range of aspects, including the government, the law, research institutions, the situation across the strait, and so on. Some of these phenomena make us feel powerless, but we still must not overlook our own strength! Besides sharing the information more widely and raising everyone's conservation awareness, here are some personal suggestions:
1. It is not hard to find the yellow-margined box turtle and the yellow pond turtle in Taiwan, China's pet market. I myself have also met quite a few keepers. Please speak out against such behavior or report it directly to the authorities to punish it. (Call 110 directly and say, "I want to report someone catching protected wild animals," or contact the Forestry and Nature Conservation Police Corps of the National Police Agency, Ministry of the Interior at 02-23512968 http://conservation.forest.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=16043&ctNode=168&mp=10)
2. If you are lucky enough to find a native freshwater turtle in the wild, never disclose the location! And you must never take it home to keep.
3. You can also serve as a little patrol officer. When out having fun, keep your eyes open as much as possible, and if you see a turtle trap, report it immediately. (Turtle traps are usually cages; see the second picture at this link http://www.ettoday.net/news/20130505/202211.htm)
4. Recently there are some products related to protecting the yellow-margined box turtle that you can buy. Financial support is also very practical for the relevant shelter and conservation organizations.
The website is here: http://hero780403.blogspot.tw/2013/10/blog-post_31.html
There is also a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/181612805305353/?fref=ts
The survival of the yellow-margined box turtle depends on all of us working together!
(The author graduated from the Department of Forestry at National Taiwan University and is currently a master's student in the Graduate Institute of Environmental Education at National Taiwan Normal University. He was once the president of the NTU Nature Conservation Club, and in his spare time he mainly works as an ecological guide at Yilan Sanfu Farm.)