TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Birds are a popular choice of pets in Taiwan but are susceptible to abuse due to a lack of care know-how and sound regulation, animal welfare groups said Monday (Aug. 29).
The Taiwan Bird Rescue Association receives four cases of injured pet birds on average a day, said Secretary-General Wu Chun-yi (吳峮毅), half of them parrots. An estimated 400,000 parrots are kept as human companions in Taiwan, accounting for at least 70% of all pet avians, said activists.
Humans like the creatures because they are cute, intelligent, and like social interaction, but different species require different care and owners are simply not equipped with the knowledge to grant them a happy life. In some cases where parrots were abandoned, they became invasive species that harmed the environment, the Environmental Information Center quoted Wu as saying.
While “ill-treatment” incurs penalties pursuant to the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法), the lack of a government-drafted guide to looking after pet birds means there are no standards by which to implement inspections. This has resulted in frequent reports of abuse, said Ho Tsung-hsun (何宗勳), secretary-general of the Taiwan Animal Protection Monitor Network.
In light of this, animal enthusiasts who sounded the alarm at a press event published a guide to keeping a pet bird, including tips for daily care, diets, interactive activities, disease prevention, and aging bird care. The activists hope the guide can serve as a reference before an official one is made available while calling for better and more inclusive regulation of pets other than cats and dogs.