Budai salt pan sets up bird protection fence to prevent wild dogs from intruding on Little Tern breeding habitat
Chiayi County's Agriculture Department set up bamboo fences in the Budai salt pan to protect the endangered Little Terns' breeding grounds from wandering dogs.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 9, 2026 at 12:40
- 🔍 Collected: April 9, 2026 at 13:00 (20 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 08:43 (259h 43m after Collected)
The Chiayi County Agriculture Department issued a press release today stating that the Little Tern is a Level II protected wild animal that flies from the Southern Hemisphere to Taiwan every April to breed. The breeding peak is from May to August, and they gradually depart around September. According to a survey by the Ocean Conservation Administration, Ocean Affairs Council, the number of adult Little Terns in Taiwan reached 3,185 in 2023, with over 700 breeding in the Budai salt pans, accounting for about 25% of the national population.
Shih Hui-ling, Chief of the Livestock and Conservation Section of the Agriculture Department, said that monitoring results indicated wandering dogs had invaded the Budai salt pans during the Little Terns' breeding season, resulting in damaged nests and dead chicks. Therefore, a habitat improvement project was initiated to provide a safe breeding ground for the Little Terns and other birds.
Shih Hui-ling mentioned that under the guidance of Tsai Fu-chang, local residents set up circular bamboo fences on the water islands of the salt pans, leaving gaps to ensure birds can enter and exit freely, and using pallets and floor tiles to create refuge holes for birds to hide. A 2-to-3-meter buffer zone was also retained around the fence to block wandering dogs, which is conducive to bird activities and roosting.
Shih Hui-ling urged that ecological conservation requires everyone's joint efforts, and asked the public not to abandon dogs or feed stray dogs, working together to protect the precious natural environment.
Shih Hui-ling, Chief of the Livestock and Conservation Section of the Agriculture Department, said that monitoring results indicated wandering dogs had invaded the Budai salt pans during the Little Terns' breeding season, resulting in damaged nests and dead chicks. Therefore, a habitat improvement project was initiated to provide a safe breeding ground for the Little Terns and other birds.
Shih Hui-ling mentioned that under the guidance of Tsai Fu-chang, local residents set up circular bamboo fences on the water islands of the salt pans, leaving gaps to ensure birds can enter and exit freely, and using pallets and floor tiles to create refuge holes for birds to hide. A 2-to-3-meter buffer zone was also retained around the fence to block wandering dogs, which is conducive to bird activities and roosting.
Shih Hui-ling urged that ecological conservation requires everyone's joint efforts, and asked the public not to abandon dogs or feed stray dogs, working together to protect the precious natural environment.