The Animals Move House

Gypsy Chang　/　photos Arthur Jeng　/　tr. by Peter Eberly

October 1986

中文

Bear: Don't tell me it's time for my winter flu shot again! Man: He's the one in the cage, not me!

Taipei zoo is moving house.

The 72-year-old Taipei Municipal Yuanshan Zoo has long been a favorite recreation spot for Taipei residents, especially children and teenagers. The writer Ya Hsien recalls that the Taipei zoo was where he took his first date, because a ticket cost only NT$2 (about US$0.05).

And with the Taipei Children's Park located next door, kids who went to the zoo have had the best of both worlds: two parks for the price of one ticket--up till now that is.

August 15th was the last day the zoo was open at its old location. Two hundred thousand people swarmed in, all hoping to capture a final memory.

The new site of the zoo, located in the Taipei suburb of Mucha, is 30 times bigger than the old one. Harmless animals, like monkeys, goats, deer, and antelope, will no longer have to be enclosed in cages, and 170-some new species will be brought in from overseas.

But the move has not been a pleasure for all.

The Malay tapirs were the unluckiest. There are only two in all Taiwan: one is a 10-year-old "lad" in the Kaohsiung zoo, and the other a 17-year-old "lass" in Taipei. They have both passed the "age of consent" and were "engaged to be married" when the move postponed the "happy event." For the time being, the couple can only yearn for each other from afar.

Zoo personnel didn't have it easy, either.

Packing over 1,000 animals of all shapes, sizes, and temperaments in cages, loading the cages on trucks, and delivering the animals safely to their new home is not a simple matter.

For example, once each 300 kilo Taiwan black bear had been delivered to dreamland by a shot from a vet's blowgun, it took 10 strong men to load them into their cages.

And the gorilla, Man's distant ancestor, was no sooner shot in the behind than it plucked out the anesthetic needle, held it up for a look, tried a taste, and was still to trying to figure out what had hit it when the vet finally KO'd it with a second shot.

Tougher acts were to follow.

Like "Lin Wang," the 72-year-old elephant and winner of a bunch of bananas as the public's "favorite animal." Ever since he was tied up 10 or so years ago for an operation on his intestines, zookeepers have been on his blacklist.

And Lin Wang's old spouse, Ah Lan, who has mistreated feeders in her time, is a force to be reckoned with in her own right.

For this pair, the zoo adopted the "diet method" --starving them for a few meals and then putting food in their transport crates to lure them in. Then, in case they acted up and tipped over the truck, they were shackled down tight for safety's sake.

As for the larger carnivores, like tigers, leopards, and lions, after applying the diet method, one piece of meat would lure them through fire.

But for the monkeys, who'd dash in, grab the food, and dash out, this trick was no use. The zookeepers had to resort to human-wave tactics: surround and capture.

The workers eventually caught most of the monkeys in nets and got them into crates, but a few stragglers hid out inside monkey mountain and refused to be lured out. The keepers sent dogs in to flush them out, but for some reason the dogs stayed in, too. Only after flattening the mountain with a bulldozer did they finally manage to net their prey.

A more stylish exit was taken by the pink flamingos, their spindly legs wrapped in elastic silk stockings to protect against fracture.

Ch'ang Shou and Ch'ang Ch'ing, the giraffe brothers, presented a more challenging problem.

Before the move, one child had suggested the zoo hire a "wonder doctor" to saw off the animals' necks, ship them in two pieces, and then sew them back together again. With no such doctor available, the zookeepers had to plan another means of delivery. Adding together the height of the trucks and the giraffes, they found they needed four or five meters of clearance. After carefully selecting a route, they brought along two pieces of equipment, just in case: a pole for raising telephone lines, and a rope to lower the giraffe's necks.

The excitement reached a peak on September 14th with the "Zoo Move Parade." The activities got under way at 7:30 a.m. with the start of the "Run for the Animals" mini-marathon. At 9, the animals set out on their 17-km. journey to Mucha, flanked by a "hand-in-hand human chain." Since over 200,000 took part in a chain which required just 70,000, TV commentator Chang Hsiao-yen described the effect as more like "elbow-to-elbow, cheek-by-jowl."

This year being that of the Tiger, a pair of tigers led the parade off, followed by 15 species of leopards, bears, gorillas, tortoises. . . all displayed in flowery vehicles.

Along the way the animals were entertained by children's bands, drill groups, and cheerleaders, and when they arrived at the entrance of their new home in Mucha, they were greeted by enthusiastic lion and dragon dances--probably the first time they had seen this kind of performance.

Although only 65 animals took part in the parade, they kept the zookeepers toiling for days. Meanwhile, over 1,000 more animals must be moved into the zoo's new home before it opens on October 31st.

The zookeepers do have one consolation: moving a zoo is most likely no more than a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence!

[Picture Caption]

Bear: Don't tell me it's time for my winter flu shot again!

Man: He's the one in the cage, not me!

In the imagination of a child, the zoo parade is like the pro gress of an imperial official. (picture by Hsiao Hsin-yu, pupil at Taipei's Hsin- chuang Elementary)

(Above left) The zoo is a good place for painting from life.

(Lower left) The bear's old home is bare of bears.

(Right) Waiting expectantly at the old zoo's main gate before the parade.

Where are they taking my neighbor? I hope it's not my turn next. (photo by Vincent Chang)

This old tortoise has a poor sense of direction and needs some encouragement ta help him on his way. (photo by Su Chun-lang)

Help! I'm too big for the dinner pot!

(Left) You may like the heat, but we don't. (photo by T'ang Ken-li)

(Above right) We want to be in on the move, too. (photo by Chien Yung-pin)

(Below right) A monkey drinks like some people do. (photo by Hu Fe-ts'ai)

At its spacious new location in Mucha the zoo has added an aquarium, a butterfly house, and an animal ranch. (photo by Hu Fu-ts'ai)

Animal telephone kiosks are another feature of the zoo at Mucha. (photo by Hu Fu-ts'ai)

In the imagination of a child, the zoo parade is like the pro gress of an imperial official. （picture by Hsiao Hsin-yu, pupil at Taipei's Hsin- chuang Elementary）