Tomorrow, the 22nd, is World Biodiversity Day, followed closely by World Otter Day on the last Wednesday of May, the 28th. To commemorate these important environmental observances, the Taipei Zoo, together with the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency's Pingtung Branch, the Kinmen County Government, and the Kinmen Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Association, will hold a Eurasian Otter Conservation and Ecological Sustainability Symposium in the Kinmen region on May 24 and 25.
On May 28, a "Flash Mob Otter" event will take place in front of the Eurasian otter and small-clawed otter enclosures at the Taipei Zoo.
The Taipei Zoo highlights that many wild animals living close to human communities are vulnerable to habitat loss or fragmentation due to changes in land use. This often leads to roadkill incidents and threatens the survival of their populations. The Eurasian otter population, which has disappeared from Taiwan's main island and now only survives in Kinmen, is one of the representative species facing such dangers in the wild.
In response to World Otter Day, the zoo, Kinmen County Government, and the Kinmen Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Association will conduct a two-day event on May 24 and 25. Activities include field visits to otter-friendly communities and otter habitats. The event invites local Kinmen school teachers, environmental educators, cultural historians, eco-tourism operators, sustainable community workers, and Eurasian otter conservationists to exchange knowledge and experiences. The goal is to make Kinmen a sanctuary for Eurasian otters and foster a community that coexists harmoniously with these animals as neighbors.
Besides caring for orphaned otter babies rescued from the wild who require special attention, the zoo also runs a breeding and pairing program to establish an ex-situ satellite population of otters under human care.
On May 28, the "Flash Mob Otter" mobile event will feature a Eurasian otter mascot acting as a conservation ambassador. The mascot will appear at the otter activity areas in the Taiwan Animal Area, Tropical Rainforest Area, and Temperate Animal Area of the zoo. Through interactive experiences, visitors will learn about otter behavior and ecology, raising awareness about the challenges otters face in the wild.
