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Masked palm civet killed by chimp in Taipei Zoo
An adult masked palm civet tragically fell to its death after mistakenly entering a chimpanzee enclosure at the Taipei Zoo. The incident occurred on December 15 and was witnessed by onlookers. The civet was attacked and killed by a chimpanzee, leaving visitors shocked. Taipei Zoo spokesperson Eric Tsao explained that while precautions are taken to ensure animal safety, it is impossible to completely close off each area due to animal welfare considerations. Tsao emphasized that this event serves as a reminder that local wildlife species can occasionally wander into the zoo. Chimpanzees exhibit a group defense behavior pattern and will attack intruders until they show no signs of life. Upon being alerted about the incident, zoo staff followed the Standard Operating Procedure and managed to lure the chimpanzees inside before addressing the situation. However, the civet had already died. The deceased civet, considered a sensitive species in terms of communicable disease control, will be sent to a professional health institution for tests to determine if it carried any infectious diseases.2023/12/22 14:05