Taipei Zoo

There were a total of 33 birds sent to the Rescue Center in Taipei Zoo in 2008, of which 4 were Crested Serpent Eagles alone. Those that recovered from their injuries were sent to the “Midway House of Wild Birds of Taipei County” for training and subsequent release back to the wild.

The average weight for a Crested Serpent Eagle is around 1.8 kilogram, but Shi-Ding only weighed a mere 1.1 kilos when it first arrived. After de-worming, however the weight was gradually gained back. Shi-Ding then was taken to Xiaogetou for flight training on good weather days, and was ultimately released back to the wild when flying was determined not to be a problem.

The injured birds Taipei Zoo receives range from Hodgson’s Hawk Eagle, Collard Scops Owl, Formosan whistling thrush, savanna nightjar, Taiwan blue magpie, emerald dove, black drongo, and even non-native parrot species too. You see, wildlife rescue is definitely a job that is on-going seven days a week, 24 hours a day.