TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said Sunday (Oct. 4) that the city has plans to renovate the outmoded Shou Shan Zoo and transform it into a friendlier environment for animals.

During a World Animal Day event at a public animal shelter in Kaohsiung's Yenchao District, Chen said he had had the opportunity to visit the newly revamped Hsinchu Zoo on Saturday (Oct. 3) and that he was blown away by how animal-friendly its designs were. He said that although Shou Shan Zoo is Taiwan's second-largest zoo, some of its equipment is out of date and in dire need of upgrading.

Chen pointed out that the refurbishment has made Hsinchu Zoo a comfortable place to visit and allowed closer interactions between visitors and animals through a no-cage approach. Built in 1936, the northern Taiwan zoo underwent renovation in 2017, replacing its cages with ditches, bushes, and short fences to create environments more similar to the animals' natural habitats.

Chen said the Kaohsiung City Government has drawn up short- and long-term renovation plans for the Shou Shan Zoo and will introduce new facilities with the animals' welfare in mind. He emphasized that animals should be given the same privacy and understanding as humans and that a city's level of civilization is determined by how its residents treat animals, reported UDN.

Chen Chi-mai (center) visits animal shelter on World Animal Day. (CNA photo)