Taiwan: Ace Lo (Learning on Excursions)

Learning on Excursions: My Field Trip to Taipei Zoo

In my class, Exploring Taiwan: Natural Resource, I took a field trip to the Taipei Zoo to explore the endemic and endangered species inside the Formosan Animal Area and the Tropical Rainforest Area. The objective of the assignment was to write a reflection report regarding my thoughts about these critical species.

My group and I explored the Pangolin Dome, an artificial rainforest ecosystem for ex-situ conservation, and we saw many interesting species like the great argus and great curassow. These land animals roamed freely inside the dome without supervision to maintain their natural behavior and habits. The dome was stunning because it mirrored to a real rainforest with the right climate and environment for their survival. In the center of the dome, an aquarium contained massive fish species that were the size of a human. I have never seen fishes with such big sizes.

At the Formosan animal area, I saw animals like the Formosan serow and Formosan pangolin, and I discovered that the pangolins were conserved due to illegal trade. In the end, our excursion at the zoo taught me the importance of wildlife conservation and our dependence on these animals. The threat toward Formosan species is the vital reason Taiwan engages in ecological tours, research, and seminars to protect wildlife animals.

 

Ace Lo

Major: Consumer Behavior & Marketplace Studies

Hometown: Wausau, Wisconsin

Program: National Taiwan University Exchange