The birdhouse at the Children's Festival was destroyed by Typhoon Soudelor; the birds have no choice but to temporarily stay in the park's "shoe cabinet"

▲Typhoon Soudelor was powerful—the birds' homes are gone. (Photo / from the official Yilan Children's Festival fan page)

Reported by Chen Ziying / Taipei

Typhoon threatened Taiwan over the weekend, with some damage reported in various regions. The "homes" of the little birds in the Children's Festival park are also gone. This time, Typhoon Soudelor brought heavy rain to Taiwan, with Yilan being the first to bear the brunt. For safety reasons, the Yilan International Children's Folklore and Folkgame Festival was forced to close for two days. As the typhoon gradually moved toward the northwest of Taiwan and the rainfall in Yilan eased, sharp-eyed staff noticed that many of the birds' homes in the park may have been damaged by the typhoon, leaving the birds facing homelessness. Among them, an adorable young Formosan bulbul stayed and rested in the park’s “shoe cabinet,” looking quite helpless.


▲A young Formosan bulbul, unable to find its home, takes temporary refuge in the park’s “shoe cabinet,” looking helpless. (Photo / from the official Yilan Children's Festival fan page)

Last winter, due to Typhoon Sura, continuous heavy rains caused the Dongshan River to swell, and floodwaters surged into the park, causing damage. This year, staff strengthened their vigilance. Although the park was forced to close for two days, it fortunately weathered the storm. However, the park's Formosan bulbuls ended up losing their homes, and a photo capturing one of the birds “temporarily residing” in the park's shoe cabinet with a bewildered expression was taken. Staff posted the image on the fan page: “Many birds’ homes were blown away by the typhoon, but he (it) found a shoe apartment as a temporary shelter. Wishing him an early completion of his new home.” But since the bulbul in the photo still appears to be a juvenile, it likely doesn’t know how to build a nest yet, which sparked heartfelt discussions among netizens.

After two days of closure, the Children's Festival staff hastened park clean-up efforts and have announced that the park will reopen as usual tomorrow (the 14th), aiming to make the most of the weekend now that the typhoon has passed.