Recently, some members of the public ignored warnings by burning joss paper and bringing dogs up Shoushan Mountain in Kaohsiung. The Preparatory Office of Shoushan National Nature Park has issued fines in these cases, and penalties will be enforced once approval is granted by the Ministry of the Interior.
Xu Shuguo, secretary of the Preparatory Office of Shoushan National Nature Park, pointed out today that anyone violating the posted prohibitions will be fined according to the National Park Act.
On May 12, the Fengshan Center of Master Hai Tao’s Compassionate Service burned gold paper on Shoushan Mountain in Kaohsiung. After being reported by the public, the preparatory office, the Shoushan police squad, and conservation patrol officers gathered evidence and issued a fine of NT$3,000 for violating the National Park Act.
Previously, a member of the public was stopped from bringing a dog up the mountain. The individual argued that the park’s ban on dogs was a measure put in place during past rabies outbreaks. He claimed his pet had been vaccinated against rabies and was leashed, so it should be safe to bring the dog up the mountain.
The preparatory office stated that any violation of the posted regulations will be penalized according to the law. Fines have already been issued to those who burned gold paper and brought dogs up the mountain, amounting to NT$3,000 and NT$1,500 respectively. The fines will be sent out once approved by the Ministry of the Interior’s Construction and Planning Agency.
The preparatory office explained that although there have been no reported cases of rabies within the Shoushan National Nature Park area, the mountain is home to diseases such as canine distemper, fleas, scrub typhus, and leptospirosis. These infectious diseases or parasites are often transmitted between animals or from pets to humans. Therefore, banning pets from the mountain is meant to protect visitors from potential danger.
In 2012 and 2013, the Preparatory Office of Shoushan National Nature Park, under Article 13, Paragraph 1, Item 8 of the National Park Act, announced 12 prohibited activities within the park, including feeding wild animals and teasing or attacking them. Violators will also be fined. 1050517
(Central News Agency)