Good for leopard cats, good for us
“Today the birds, tomorrow mankind.” This is the warning to humanity presented by the documentary Fly, Kite Fly by director Liang Chieh-te. Lin Yu-hsiu suggests that the situation of the leopard cat today has a similar significance. “Showing concern for the leopard cat is also a way of taking care of yourself,” she concludes.
Arriving at Jun Yuan Farm in Nantou’s Lugu Township, owned by Liao Yousheng, we see the land overgrown with vegetation. This scene is due entirely to efforts to protect the leopard cat.
The TBRI program of “leopard-cat friendly” labels for crops encourages farmers to allow wild plants to grow and to retain open spaces, while it bars them from using any inputs that are harmful to wild animals and from allowing dogs or domestic cats to run free. The goal is to provide leopard cats and other wildlife with a safe and open living environment. The best evidence of the program’s success at creating wildlife-friendly habitats is the bite marks on leafy vegetables. Bending down, Liao uses a small sickle to carefully harvest his vegetables, picking and choosing as he goes, and he leaves virtually half of them in the fields. This produce, grown without pesticides, can be eaten without being washed, and its delicious taste is the best repayment Liao receives for his determination to protect the land.
At his Zhanggui Fruit Orchard in Nantou’s Zhushan Township, which likewise is certified to use the “leopard-cat friendly” label, Wu Pitai mainly grows lemons. In this little orchard, located in hilly country, weeds grow up to calf length and Spanish needles flourish, attracting many butterflies and bees. Wu explains that the weeds certainly attract numerous insects, but they eat their fill amid the wild vegetation and don’t approach the lemon trees, letting all his lemons grow into beautiful fruit.
As for the irrepressible mikania vine, Wu says casually: “I just pull them out with my hands, and if I don’t get them all before they seed, then so be it.” Even though he suffers heavy losses, he still hopes that in the future he can reduce his use of inputs even further. He says: “You have to let go of any trees that are too weak to survive, so that there can be ecological balance.”
The determination of farmers like Liao Yousheng and Wu Pitai to protect the environment, and the way that the crops harvested by leopard-cat friendly farms like the Jiji Banana fruit farm are packed in specially marked fruit and vegetable boxes produced by Banana Fiber Weave Cultural Industries, all stem from the hope that ordinary people, through their purchases, can preserve a place where leopard cats can survive in the wild.
Lin Yu-hsiu points out that the leopard cat “Douzao,” which was released into the wild after being rescued as a kitten, recently was photographed in the vicinity of an orchard that is certified as leopard-cat friendly, which is the best evidence that the “leopard-cat friendly” label is working. She says: “We get a great deal back from the leopard cats.”
This is by no means the last word in leopard-cat conservation, for the cat still faces countless known and unknown risks. Indeed, the whole environment is under threat. Only if the people who live on this land continue to protect them can these adorable creatures of the foothills once again have a space where they can thrive.
Against the advice of his neighbors, Wu Pitai, owner of Zhanggui Fruit Orchard, insists on allowing wild plants to cover the ground around his fruit trees.
Stepping on wild vegetation, Liao Yousheng of Jun Yuan Farm checks on how well his crops are growing.
There is still much to do before efforts to protect the leopard cat will be successful enough to enable its population to grow. (courtesy of LCAT)
The Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute uses classes and public awareness campaigns to educate local communities about the leopard cat. (courtesy of TBRI)
After being released into the wild, the rescued leopard cat Douzao headed south along a ridgeline. Recently she has been discovered living near a leopard-cat-friendly farm in Nantou County. (photo by Wang Weixiang, courtesy of TBRI)