Owls should not be imported as pets / 開放人工飼養貓頭鷹進口? 保育團體憂心　　　　　　　　　　

Many people keep birds as pets. However, according to Taiwanese law, people are not allowed own or raise indigenous owls, because they are considered to be an endangered species. As a result, some are urging the government to legalize the import of foreign owls, but conservation groups worry that this would lead to even more problems. Let's take a look. Taichung City Wildlife Conservation Association recently saved an Asio flammeus, well, it's an owl. ==LIN WEN LUNG== This owl has been reared and its wings were cut. The wound formed a callus, take a look, here. Frankly speaking, this reared owl stands no chance of being released into the wild. Also, Nantou County's Endemic Species Research Institute in the past 20 years it has saved over one hundred birds of prey, those birds were illegally reared. Among them some owls suffered from bone-related diseases. ==CHAN FANG-TSE, Doctor, Wildlife First-aid Station, ESRI== The bird eats whole prey, but ordinary people feed only lean meat such as chicken breast. After two to three weeks, bird gains weights, but its bones get thinner. Finally its weight crushed its bones. Wildlife conservation regulates people cannot own indigenous prey birds, but some people do. Now there are voices urging government to legalize imports of owls and prey birds. ==WU KAO-MING, Chair, Taiwan Assoc. for Falconry Culture Raptor Consv.== We have a complete set of guidance to minimize improper rearing from ordinary owners. That would allow those people who are interested in owning falcons, no longer need to hide. Make them all legalized. ==CHAN FANG-TSE, Doctor, Wildlife First-aid Station, ESRI== Importing is easy, but regulating is difficult. It takes time to have professional knowledge and skill. Ordinary people will go catch local owls and falcons for rearing, and those animals would become sacrifices during the process. In Taiwan, currently there is no regulation over pet birds. For any regulation to be established, more thoughts need to be collected from the public. TRANSLATED BY：ANTHONY LIN 台中市野生動物保育學會是專門救援野生動物的民間團體，近期他們救助了一隻短耳鴞。 ==林文隆== 這隻被養過 所以牠的翅膀是斷的 後來可能形成骨痂 自己再接回來 你注意看 這裡 老實說 這隻被養過之後 也沒有回到野外的機會 位在南投的特生中心野生動物急救站，二十年來救援了一百多隻被人違法偷養的猛禽。當中有些貓頭鷹，因為食物鈣質不足，罹患代謝性骨病。 ==特生中心野生動物急救站醫師 詹芳澤== 牠在野外吃的 像這些猛禽 都吃整隻動物的 一般人就會給牠全部的瘦肉 像雞胸肉那樣子 全部給牠吃 養兩個禮拜 到三個禮拜 牠體重會很快上升 但是牠的骨頭 就會越來越脆弱 體重會把骨頭壓斷掉 野保法規定不能飼養本土猛禽，卻還是有不少違法偷養。近期，有業者希望政府開放進口人工繁殖的貓頭鷹，贊同的民間團體認為，引進才能讓想養鷹的人有合法管道。 ==台灣鷹獵文化暨猛禽保育協會理事長 吳高明== 我們有一套完整的管理辦法 就可以減少一般民眾 不當的飼養 讓一些有興趣養鷹的 可以不要再從事這些 黑箱的部份 轉到檯面上 我們可以公開養鷹 ==特生中心野生動物急救站醫師 詹芳澤== 進口容易 但是管理困難 而且專業知識的養成 它需要一點時間 民眾會一窩蜂 可能會抓本土的貓頭鷹 本土的老鷹來飼養 過程中這些老鷹 就變成無辜的實驗品 目前國內的寵物鳥，政府並沒有建立管理辦法，在制度更完備之前，開放任何物種進口，都需要三思。 記者 陳佳利 張光宗 綜合報導