Malnutrition behind Yangmingshan water buffalo deaths: park
12/21/2020 10:56 PM
Photo courtesy of Yangmingshan National Park.
Taipei, Dec. 21 (CNA) The initial findings of an investigation into the recent deaths of 25 wild water buffaloes in Yangmingshan National Park in Taipei indicate that the animals were victims of malnutrition, the spokesman for the park headquarters said on Monday.
At a meeting of experts held by the Taipei City Animal Protection Office earlier in the day to discuss the issue, contagious diseases, pesticides and fences on the mountains were ruled out as causes of death, Chang Shun-fa (張順發) told CNA.
A "composite environmental factor" was blamed, he said, noting that the experts agreed according to preliminary indications that the deaths were associated with insufficient nutrition in the food sources of the breeding sites of the wild water buffaloes.