Kaohsiung's Shoushan Zoo and other centers take in animals that were imported by individuals and then abandoned. Many of the animals have been traumatized. Animal protection groups say animal laundering is also a huge problem in Taiwan.
Sun bear A-mei strolls around its enclosure. A-mei doesn't have claws on its forelegs, because its former owner removed them to avoid getting scratched. As a result, A-mei can't climb trees. When animal welfare workers found A-mei, it was being kept in a dog cage in Chiayi. Last June, A-mei was relocated to Shoushan Zoo.
Lee Chien-ho, Division Chief, Tourism Bureau, Kaohsiung："We spend a lot of time and effort taking care of (rescued) animals and checking up on them to see how they are recovering. Our vets work very hard too to bring them back to health. We also provide nutritional supplements."
A-mei is not the zoo's only rescued animal. The zoo is also home to a gibbon, A-lai, and a rescued Bengal tiger, A-hu, from Tainan's Snake King Farm. They were all imported into Taiwan by individuals and eventually handed over to animal agencies when their owners didn't want to or couldn't take care of them anymore. Animal welfare groups say "animal laundering" is also a huge problem in Taiwan.
Chen Ting-yu, Research and Initiatives Director, TSPCA："Let's say Animal A dies. (Breeders) breed a new animal and use A's registration certificate for the new animal. This is "animal laundering." By doing this, they give legal standing to illegally gotten or illegally bred animals."
The groups say wild animals don't have chips like cats and dogs, and their identities may never be known. They are calling on the government to take action against animal laundering. They also say the government should provide assistance to animal owners to make sure the animals are properly cared for.
馬來熊阿梅在展場內散步，仔細看會發現牠的前腳並沒有爪子，因為之前飼主怕牠會抓人，拔了牠的熊爪，讓牠再也無法爬樹。阿梅本來被養在嘉義山區的狗籠內，經動保人士檢舉後，去年6月才被送到壽山動物園收容。
高雄市觀光局股長 李建和表示：「花很多的精力去照顧牠們，然後就會經常去觀察牠們，目前恢復的狀況怎麼樣。那當然，我們的獸醫群也很努力的，在調養牠們的身體，我們也有搭配一些營養的補充。」
不只阿梅，像這隻長臂猿阿來，或是從台南蛇王農場被送來的保育類孟加拉虎阿虎，都是被私人引進後，飼主後續沒能力照顧而送到官方機構收容。但野生動物的困境不只有照顧不周，動保團體透露有些人甚至會「洗動物」，讓非法動物冒名頂替合法登記。
台灣防止虐待動物協會研究倡議部門 陳庭毓主任表示：「A動物死了， 他們(業者)繁殖出來一隻新的動物，就用A這隻動物的登記證，來當作牠的身分證，去洗很多動物，讓很多根本是來源非法，或是說，牠是非法繁殖出來的動物，牠在法律上，得到一個合法的地位。」
動保團體表示，野生動物不像貓或狗有打晶片，很難追查並驗明身分，呼籲相關主管機關，應該要加強列管、稽查，避免不肖業者洗動物，也要輔導私人飼養的個人或農場改善環境，讓這些動物能得到妥善的照顧。