New Pangolin Dome Presents Rainforest to Public|台北動物園穿山甲館 打造熱帶雨林環境

The Taipei Zoo has invested NT$390 million to build an exhibition room that houses tropical rainforest and a number of endangered species. The room is called the Pangolin Dome, and it allows visitors to observe the animals from up close. Some question whether the public's proximity to the animal would cause disturbance, to which the Taipei Zoo replied that the number of visitors allowed in the dome will be limited.


This new exhibition room at the Taipei Zoo, made in the likeness of a pangolin, was officially unveiled on July 8, and it opened to public one day later. The room houses a tropical rain forest, as well as a number of endangered species such as cotton-top tamarins. The new room allows the public to see these animals, such as the two-toed sloth, at very close distances.

It doesn't like a big crowd, so it often hides at high places. There are plenty of spots for to hide. (If an animal interacts with a visitor, or even comes into contact, what would you do?) We have put up signs (against such behavior), and we will give oral persuasion to those who are too close to the animals.

The Taipei Zoo invested NT$390 million to build the Pangolin Dome. Unlike the Panda House which divides the public from the animals. Some are concerned whether allowing members of the public to walk close to the animals would cause disturbance. The zoo said that it will ask the public to talk quietly, and that it believes the animals will get used to the public's presence and voice. The zoo also said that it will limit the number of visitors to the house to 19,200 per day.

Since the hallway isn't very wide, we currently run the Pangolin Dome like the Panda House, in that we limit the number of visitors to 400 every 10 minutes. We are also hoping that crowds could keep a reasonable distance from one another.

According to the reports from the United Nations, a rainforest the size of a soccer field is vanished from the earth every second. The zoo hopes that the new house could educate the public on the many consequences of damaging rainforests, including extreme climate conditions and the extinction of animal species. Asked about Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je's suggestion on opening up the Pangolin Dome for night visits, the zoo said that it has no air conditioners and there is also the problem of bird droppings, therefore they must carefully examine the idea before moving forward.



以穿山甲造型設計而成的熱帶雨林室內館，8號在台北市立動物園開幕，9號正式對外開放，走進館內，打造成熱帶雨林環境，工作人員正在餵食的棉頭狷猴，是園方引進的極危與瀕危物種之一，民眾可近距離觀察野生動物，像這隻在爬樹的二趾樹獺，離參觀走道非常近。

台北市立動物園工作人 vs. 記者表示：「牠基本上不喜歡人太多，所以牠會往高處跑，牠都有地方可以躲。（所以牠如果跟遊客有互動，或甚至是接觸，你們會怎麼做？) 我們都有設一些告示牌，看到就口頭勸導。」

這座斥資3.9億元打造的穿山甲館，不像貓熊館讓民眾隔著玻璃參觀，多少阻隔人潮與噪音，而是讓民眾走過動物身旁，會不會有干擾之虞呢？園方表示，會加強教育民眾輕聲細語，也相信動物會習慣人聲，另外，會發放參觀券，每日參觀人數限19200人。

台北市立動物園發言人 曹先紹表示：「通道不是很寬闊的情況下，目前是採用的方式，是比照大貓熊館的參觀券，每十分鐘有400位遊客可以進場，那也希望前面的隊伍，跟後面的隊伍，能保持一定的距離。」

根據聯合國研究報告，每秒鐘就有一片相當足球場面積的熱帶雨林消失，園方希望教育來到新館的民眾，了解雨林受破壞會帶來物種消失與加劇極端氣候等惡果，至於台北市長柯文哲建議，開放民眾來穿山甲館夜宿，園方表示，這裡沒冷氣也有飛鳥排泄問題，需審慎評估。