The Chiayi County Government (a county in southern Taiwan) has
decided to open fire on Formosan rock-monkey, and is going to
cooperate with shooting association to start the killing on 20th
September. The Formosan rock-monkey in Taiwan is now facing a great
massacre.

    Formosan rock-monkey is an animal under the protection of Wildlife
Conservation Act, and inhabits the mountains of central and southern
Taiwan, including Miaoli, Taichung, Yunlin and Chiayi counties. The
farmers have been complaining about the losses caused by Formosan rock-
monkey. They claim that the monkeys always invade the farms right
before harvest time to cause havoc, and steal numerous agricultural
products, mainly loquats and lychees. The farmers therefore claim to
have suffered serious financial losses, and attribute the constant
invasion to the increasing number of the monkeys, which is the result
of government's conservation policy since 1989.

    However, research indicates that the number of Formosan rock-
monkey has been remaining the same. Hence, the conflict between the
farmer and monkey isn't because the increasing number in its habitat,
but probably because of human's overdevelopment, resulting in the
overlapping of farms and habitat. The question we should ask is: are
people encroaching Formosan rock-monkey's habitat and accusing monkeys
of intrusion? According to Wildlife Conservation Act, farmers are
authorized to hunt and kill animals as an act of self-defense, instead
of a violation against WCA, when their life and property are under
animal's damage. This should be viewed as an emergency article, but
unfortunately, the Chiayi County Government seems to misinterpret and
distort this article, and plan to proceed a preventive MASSACRE.

    It is an illegal action, and must be stopped and condemned. Hence,
we(Life Conservationist Association) request the Taiwan government to
avoid the monkey hunting ASAP, and we encourage you to write/contact
the Taiwan government with your sincerely concern for Formosan rock-
monkeys.

Forestry Bureau, Council of Agriculture (the Taiwan authority
concerned)
Email: serv...@forest.gov.tw
Contact number: +886 2-2351-5441

Chiayi County Government
Email: w...@mail.cyhg.gov.tw
contact number : +886-5-3620123

If you are interested in kowning more about the situation of Formosan
Rock-monkey please contact us at
mail:lca...@gmail.com
Tel:+886 2 8780 0838