Department of Education, Taipei City Government

The pangolin family at Taipei Zoo welcomed a new pangolin cub on July 13, 2023. The newborn cub, Gaoxia, was born to the supermom, Pipagao. Though Gaoxia looked slim, it was of good weight. Furthermore, Gaoxia experienced rapid weight gain due to the attentive nursing and breastfeeding provided by its mother. Two days after birth, Gaoxia's physique became plump and chubby. Currently, Gaoxia is steadily growing under the attentive care of its mother pangolin.

Shilin, the father of Gaoxia the pangolin, was found seriously injured in Shilin district in 2020 and was sent to the Zoo rescue center for emergency treatment. After veterinary examination, its right hind leg and tail vertebrae had open fractures due to bites. Due to the severe injuries and tissue necrosis, the veterinarian could only perform emergency amputation to save its life. It was estimated that its wound was caused by feral dogs. Due to the presence of various bacteria in the mouths of animals, Shilin underwent approximately thirty wound healing therapies and received attentive care from zookeepers, eventually recovering successfully. Adding to their concerns is the challenge of reintroducing a pangolin lacking hind legs and a tail to its natural habitat. After evaluation by veterinarians, Shilin was deemed unsuitable for release into the wild and was kept in a zoo.

What Shilin experienced, like bites by free-ranging dogs, is indeed the grave threat currently faced by wild Taiwanese pangolins. Feral dog attacks pose a threat to many native wildlife species in Taiwan. According to estimates, in 2022, the number of free-ranging dogs in Taiwan reached 160 thousand, and the rising cases of feral dog attacks on wild animals continue to escalate, which is truly concerning for the survival of endemic species.

Pangolin Shilin was injured and unable to return home, which resulted in it losing its role and place in the wild. Now it gets a new lease on life under the ex-situ program promoted by the zoo with the support of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, to reproduce its offspring and pass on its genes to future generations. The birth of Gaoxia brings joy to conservationists and serves as an inspiration, while we still sincerely hope that wild pangolins can live safely.