A society with a nominally Buddhist majority, Taiwan ironically remains an island of needless suffering for numerous non-human animals. Despite years of calls by non-government groups -- namely the Life Conservationist Association (LCA) and the umbrella group the Ecology Conservation Alliance -- the Animal Protection Law did not become legislation until October 1998, and only after tremendous local and international pressures had been exerted.
Wearing masks resembling the faces of the critically endangered black-faced spoonbills (Platalea minor), SAVE members and graduate students of University of California, Berkeley performed the Spoonbill Dance in front of the Taipei Central Rail Station during their recent trip to Taiwan. In front of an audience of television reporters and pedestrians, the performance marked the culmination of SAVE International's recent delegation visit that included meetings with government officials, legislators and local groups. With new optimism and challenges, SAVE International is entering its third year in a campaign to save the critically endangered black-faced spoonbill and its most important wintering habitat -- the Tsengwen Estuary wetlands in southern Taiwan.