Zoo and Exhibition Animal Ethics

From an elephant in an iron cage to Xpark's jellyfish wall, Taiwan is redefining the relationship between humans and animals on display

30-Second Overview

Taiwan's zoos are undergoing their greatest intellectual revolution in a century. From the iron-cage displays of Yuanshan Zoo during the Japanese colonial period, to Hsinchu Zoo's breakthrough "cageless" renovation in 2019, and then to the major animal-welfare debate triggered by Xpark's opening in 2020, these developments have prompted us to rethink the legitimacy of "locking animals up for people to look at" in itself.

This transformation encompasses a renewal of social values as a whole. From the disappearance of tigers jumping through flaming hoops in circuses to controversies over pet cafés on social media, Taiwanese people have begun to ask: "Who gets to decide whether animals are happy?"

Taiwan implemented the Regulations Governing the Management of Animal Exhibitions and Performances in 2017, and permits for cetacean exhibitions and performances expire in 2026. A series of institutional turning points has brought this debate down from moral philosophy into real legal decisions.

Why It Matters

On an increasingly urbanized island, zoos may be the only places where most people can encounter wild animals. But when conservation education conflicts with animal welfare, and when commercial interests pull against ethical principles, how do we find a balance between "helping people understand animals" and "allowing animals to live well"?

There is no standard answer to this question. Yet Taiwan's process of exploration reflects how a society redefines the relationship between humans and animals, and also redefines itself.

From the making of regulations to controversies on social media, the speed of Taiwan's shift in attitudes toward exhibition animals is relatively rare in Asia.

From Iron Cages to Forests: A Century of Change at Taipei Zoo

In 1914, the Japanese colonial government established "Taipei Zoo" in Yuanshan. The exhibition philosophy at the time was simple: put rare and exotic animals in cages and let people marvel at them. Concrete floors, iron bars, cramped spaces: animals were exhibits, not individual living beings.

When the zoo moved to Muzha in 1986, its space expanded, and its thinking also began to change. With environmental enrichment, behavioral training, and conservation breeding, Taipei Zoo began trying to let animals live more like animals.

The Yuan Zai effect changed everything. In 2013, the giant panda cub Yuan Zai was born, and Taiwan went wild; tens of thousands of people poured into the zoo every day. But Yuan Zai's celebrity aura also brought reflection: do we love the animals themselves, or the entertainment they provide?

The story of Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan is even more complex. This pair of giant pandas was a diplomatic gift from China to Taiwan, carrying political symbolism. When Tuan Tuan died of illness in 2022, Taiwanese people mourned an animal, but also a period of history. Behind the warmth, however, there has always been a sharp question: is it reasonable to treat animals as diplomatic bargaining chips?

The Cageless Revolution: Hsinchu Zoo's Transformation

In December 2019, Hsinchu Zoo reopened and declared itself a "zoo without cages." This renovation was equally profound at the philosophical level.¹

Director Yang Chia-min put it bluntly: "Animals are residents, not display objects." Every design decision began with animal needs: hippos have deep pools for diving and swimming, Malayan tapirs have mud in which they can roll, and Bengal tigers have woods where they can hide.

More radically, Hsinchu Zoo no longer pursues species diversity. It has streamlined the number of species, focused on friendly displays of local species, and kept only those that can truly live well in the existing environment. "We are not Noah's Ark," Yang said. "We are the animals' home."

This transformation is not perfect. Critics say the space is still too small and the animals are still confined. But Hsinchu Zoo's significance lies in proving that Taiwan is capable of breaking out of traditional frameworks and reimagining the relationship between humans and animals.

The Xpark Storm: The Ethical Test of an Urban Aquarium

In August 2020, the Japanese-style urban aquarium Xpark opened at Gloria Outlets in Taoyuan. With dazzling light and shadow and avant-garde design, it sparked discussion about animal welfare as soon as it opened. Yet behind the beauty lay a black hole of animal welfare.

Within less than a year of opening, problems erupted one after another:

• Wounds appeared on stingrays, suspected to have been caused by collisions in an overly small space
• Penguins showed abnormal behavior, repeatedly swimming in cramped spaces
• Strong lighting affected the biological clocks of nocturnal animals
• Excessive noise placed marine animals under stress amid the clamor of crowds

An in-depth investigation by Wuo Wuo Media ignited public discussion.² Supporters said Xpark brought conservation education; critics questioned whether this was "animal abuse packaged as entertainment."

The core of the Xpark controversy is this: does the business model of urban aquariums itself conform to animal welfare? When entertainment value conflicts with animal welfare, which side should we choose?

This debate has not yet ended, but it has already changed Taiwanese society's understanding of exhibition animals.

The Vanishing Circus: The Twilight of Animal Performances

Do you still remember tigers jumping through flaming hoops, monkeys riding unicycles, and seals balancing balls? These were once classic scenes in Taiwan's circuses. Today, they have almost disappeared.

In the 1990s, the Mulan Circus and the Asian Circus toured around Taiwan, with animal performances as headline programs. But as awareness of animal rights rose, these performances came under increasing scrutiny: was the training process cruel? Were the animals really "happy" to perform?

The key turning point was the 2017 amendment to the Animal Protection Act, which strengthened regulation of exhibition animals. Although it did not impose a comprehensive ban, complicated application procedures and strict inspection standards made it difficult for traditional circuses to continue.

They have been replaced by animal-free circuses. Cirque du Soleil and FOCA Formosa Circus have used human bodies and creativity in place of animal performances. Taiwanese people discovered that circuses without animals can be just as thrilling.

The Dilemma of Marine Parks

Taiwan's marine exhibition and performance venues are standing at a historical crossroads.

Taiwan currently has only two remaining cetacean exhibition and performance operators: Farglory Ocean Park in Hualien (four bottlenose dolphins plus one pantropical spotted dolphin) and Yehliu Ocean World in New Taipei (10 bottlenose dolphins). Both operators' exhibition and performance permits will expire in 2026. The countdown has already begun for "dolphin shows to enter history."

In July 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture announced a revised version of the Regulations Governing the Management of Animal Exhibitions and Performances, formally bringing cetacean exhibitions and performances under management.³ The Ocean Conservation Administration also established a "Cetacean Exhibition and Performance Transformation Advisory Group," with the participation of scholars, civil-society groups, and local governments. Its central direction is clear: gradually phase out entertainment-oriented performances and shift toward an educational display model.

Farglory's response is to transform into a "dolphin sanctuary base": no more performances, but also no release into the wild, since dolphins kept in captivity for many years can no longer return to the sea. Instead, the public will learn about dolphins through educational displays. The park emphasizes: "The dolphins will not disappear; the public will still be able to see them."

But things exploded at Yehliu. In 2024, Yehliu Ocean World bred a baby dolphin in captivity, directly colliding with the social consensus on "gradual exit." Animal-protection groups raised a sharp question: in an era when society has already begun opposing dolphin performances, does continuing to allow dolphins to give birth in pools not mean that more dolphins are destined from birth to live in cages?

Because the calf's date of birth had exceeded the permitted breeding period, the Ocean Conservation Administration fined Yehliu under the Wildlife Conservation Act, but the fine was only NT$10,000. The figure itself is a kind of absurdity: the price of a life, ten thousand dollars.

Chou Chin-shan, deputy executive director of the Life Conservationist Association, made a statement in the transformation group: "They were originally supposed to live in the ocean, but were forcibly pulled onto land. Humans need to understand what sacrifices these captive individuals have made for human beings."

She also emphasized: "They are living beings, not teaching aids for people to view."

The exit of dolphin shows marks a critical moment in which Taiwanese society is redefining the "relationship between humans and marine animals."

Regulations and Reality: The Challenges of Managing Animal Exhibitions and Performances

The Regulations Governing the Management of Animal Exhibitions and Performances took effect in 2017, giving Taiwan its first dedicated law regulating exhibition animals.⁴ The rules include:

• Exhibition and performance venues must obtain permits
• Animal-keeping environments must meet minimum standards
• Professional veterinarians must be assigned
• Animal-welfare inspections must be conducted regularly

But enforcement faces real-world challenges. Across Taiwan, fewer than 20 animal-welfare inspectors must supervise hundreds of exhibition and performance venues. Low inspection frequency, a shortage of professional personnel, and overly light penalties have reduced the regulations to little more than theory on paper.

The more fundamental problem is that current regulations still begin from "management," not "animal rights." In law, animals remain "objects," not rights-bearing subjects. If this status does not change, even the strictest management rules will treat only the symptoms, not the root problem.

New Challenges in the Social Media Era

Instagram and TikTok have changed the ecology of animal exhibitions and performances. Pet cafés, animal restaurants, and capybara interaction experiences have become traffic formulas for social media through these "lightweight" forms of animal contact.

The Bali pet restaurant incident is the latest warning bell. In late 2025, a restaurant that promoted "rabbit interactions" was exposed: within just a few months, six rabbits had died and five had fallen ill.⁵ The causes were excessive human contact, improper keeping environments, and the neglect of animal needs in pursuit of "good-looking photos."

Social media algorithms favor the "cute" and the "interesting," turning animals into traffic commodities. A video of a capybara soaking in a hot spring can receive millions of views, but no one cares whether it has adapted to Taiwan's climate.

These "micro exhibition animals" are scattered across Taiwan, yet they hover at the margins of regulation. They do not face strict supervision like zoos, and they do not need permits like circuses, but they confront the same animal-welfare problems.

The Spectrum of Taiwanese Society's Views on Zoos

Taiwanese society has never evaluated zoos in one unified way. People from different generations and educational backgrounds stand in entirely different positions.

Taiwan's attitudes toward "whether zoos should exist" show clear differences by generation and values:

Traditional supporters believe zoos have an educational function, allowing urban children to learn about animals and cultivate conservation awareness. "If we don't go to the zoo, how will my child know what an elephant looks like?"

Modern conservationists support reformed zoos and emphasize conservation breeding, release and rehabilitation, and environmental education. Zoos should be "animal shelters," not entertainment venues.

Animal-rights advocates call for abolishing all forms of animal confinement, arguing that even the best environment cannot replace freedom. "Do animals have a right to choose? Did they agree to be displayed?"

Pragmatists acknowledge real-world constraints and support gradual reform. "A perfect ideal is beautiful, but animals in reality need immediate improvements."

There is no right or wrong on this spectrum, but it reflects Taiwanese society's deep thinking about the relationship between humans and animals.

Astonishing Facts

Taipei Zoo has existed for more than 110 years since its founding in 1914, making it one of the oldest zoos in Asia. Hsinchu Zoo's practice of streamlining its species and focusing on friendly displays of local species has almost no precedent in Asian zoo circles. Traditional circus animal performances in Taiwan almost completely disappeared after the 2010s, replaced by animal-free circuses.

Taiwan has only two remaining cetacean exhibition and performance operators, and their permits both expire in 2026. Yehliu illegally bred a baby dolphin in 2024 and was fined only NT$10,000: the figure itself is a kind of absurdity. The Regulations Governing the Management of Animal Exhibitions and Performances took effect in 2017, but enforcement manpower is severely insufficient; Taiwan has only a handful of animal-welfare inspectors.

• 🐰 The Bali pet restaurant rabbit exhibition incident in late 2025: 6 dead, 5 sick, exposing the regulatory vacuum around "micro exhibitions"
• 📱 The most popular animal-interaction content on social media is often also the setting with the highest animal-welfare risk
• 🌏 Taiwan is one of the few places in Asia with dedicated laws regulating exhibition animals, but its regulations still position animals as "objects" rather than rights-bearing subjects

Although Taiwan's laws on animal exhibitions and performances are advanced by Asian standards, there remains a significant gap between institutional design and actual enforcement.

The Future: Redefining the Relationship Between Humans and Animals

The evolution of Taiwan's zoos is, in fact, a microcosm of society's moral progress as a whole. We are beginning to understand that animals have their own needs and rights, and deserve to be respected.

In the next decade, Taiwan may see:

More zoos may transform into conservation centers or wildlife shelters, and "rewilding and release" may become one of the core missions of zoos. Virtual reality technology may replace some physical animal displays, allowing conservation education to no longer depend on the display of animal bodies. At the same time, social media platforms and competent authorities both face pressure over whether to restrict animal exhibition and performance content.

But the most important change may be conceptual: a shift from "animals serving humans" toward "humans and animals coexisting."

There is still a long road ahead. Every choice, whether which zoo to visit, what kind of animal performance to support, or whether to like or report content on social media, is a vote for Taiwan's animal welfare.

The future of zoos is our choice.

Further Reading

• Controversies over Veterinary Drugs in Taiwan — From ethical controversies over exhibition animals to legal gaps in companion-animal medication, these are different sides of the same problem: Taiwanese law has not yet learned how to regard living beings that are "neither human nor property"

References

• Wuo Wuo Media - Taiwan's most important independent media outlet on animal issues
• Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan — An advocacy organization that has long focused on exhibition animal issues
• Animal Contemporary — An interdisciplinary platform for discussion of animal rights
• Hsinchu Zoo — The practice of a "zoo without cages"
• Taipei Zoo — Taiwan's oldest zoo