Brown shrikes massacred in south Taiwan

An endangered species, the brown shrike migrates from China to winter in Taiwan. The Hengchun peninsula is its favorite wintering habitat. Gourmets in southern Taiwan seem to like to eat brown shrikes (see photo), however.

Police found 353 brown shrike traps in the Yishan district of Chaochow in Pingtung County yesterday. A total of 53 birds were saved.

Traps mushroomed after police found the first brown shrike trap in the Kenting National Park on Sept. 7. Twenty-five trapping efforts have been foiled in Hengchun, Neipu and Chaochow over the past two weeks.

“Brown shrikes are caught, roasted and eaten,” said a Chaochow police lieutenant.

A bird was sold for NT$25 at the beginning of this month. “The price has jumped to NT$35,” the police lieutenant added.

Anybody found to have trapped a brown shrike will be fined NT$10,000, he went on. “But,” he said, “there seems to be no dearth of trappers.”

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