Animals

Throughout the course of the last Ice Age, the island of Taiwan was once connected to the mainland of southern China, containing species of animals similar to those in southern China. The end of this Ice Age coupled with plate tectonics caused a successive separation of these two land masses once again. The following tens of thousands of years of geographical isolation led to the gradual evolution of many endemic species on this isolated island surrounded by the sea. There are currently 78 species of mammals in Taiwan, with 19 of those being endemic. However, as the Han people of the Ming and Qing dynasties and the people of the following Japanese colonial rule and Republic of China era began to develop the island, many animal habitats began to fragment. The native grassland hills were lost to cultivation, and animals faced pressures from fur and grass trading, mountain hunting, environmental pollution, road development, and other factors. Species like the Formosan clouded leopard, the Formosan sika deer and otters have now disappeared from the wild. Despite Taiwan's transformation into a highly technological society in recent years, there are still people who believe in the health benefits of consuming wild animals and their products. This places significant hunting pressure on animals, and it's common to see news of animals being trapped and killed in snares and traps, which is deeply regrettable. It is therefore through a painting-styled record of several representative species of Taiwan, that we aim to showcase the plight and voices of the animals on this island.