Taipei zoo breeds Formosan wild boars to preserve pure strain
Taipei, March 31 (CNA) The Taipei Zoo has recently delivered a Formosan wild boar, the first of the animal endemic to Taiwan bred under a preservation program the zoo has been working on in cooperation with National Taiwan University to keep the pure strain of the boar.
Zoo Director Jason Yeh announced Tuesday that the male boar, born on Feb. 21, is named “Tai An” because the breeders hope it will grow in a healthy and safe way, reflecting the meaning of the Chinese name.
It is also hoped that Tai An will be able to help reproduce its kind, Yeh said, adding that it has become increasingly unusual to spot pure-blood Formosan wild boars on Taiwan’s mountainous areas where the animals once dominated.
Some hog breeders living in the mountains have let their stock run around without fencing them, raising the chance of mating between the domestic and wild animals, Yeh explained.
Citing research findings, Yeh said there has been a big amount of hybrid wild boars spotted on mountains in recent years whose physical characters, such as fur color and the shape of ears, are seen to be different from those of pure Formosan wild boars.
Although the wild animal is not categorized as endangered species in Taiwan, the zoo still decided to launch efforts to preserve the strain, which lives in groups in the hills and mountain areas around the island, Yeh added.
The Taipei Zoo has a pair of pure-blood Formosan wild boars, and Tai An is their first offspring born under the zoo’s preservation program, according to the zoo. (By Elizabeth Hsu)
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