Zoo and Performing Animal Ethics

From elephants in iron cages to Xpark's jellyfish wall, Taiwan is redefining the relationship between humans and displayed animals

30-Second Overview

Taiwan's zoos are undergoing the greatest ideological revolution in a century. From the caged displays of Maruyama Zoo during the Japanese colonial era, to Hsinchu Zoo's groundbreaking "cage-free" transformation in 2019, to the animal welfare debate ignited by Xpark's opening in 2020 — these developments compel us to re-examine the very legitimacy of "keeping animals confined for human viewing."

This transformation spans an entire society's value update. From the disappearance of fire-hoop-jumping tigers in circuses, to controversies over pet cafés on social media, people in Taiwan have begun to ask: "Who decides what makes an animal happy?"

A series of institutional turning points — the 2016 enactment of the Regulations for the Management of Animal Exhibition and Performance, the 2026 expiration of cetacean performance permits — have grounded this debate from moral philosophy into concrete legal decisions.

Why It Matters

On an increasingly urbanized island, zoos may be the only place most people can encounter wild animals. But when conservation education conflicts with animal welfare, when commercial interests tug against ethical principles, how do we find balance between "letting people know animals" and "letting animals live good lives"?

There is no standard answer, but Taiwan's exploration reflects how a society redefines its relationship with animals — and in doing so, redefines itself.

From regulation-making to social media controversies, the speed of Taiwan's shift in attitudes toward performing animals is relatively rare in the Asian region.

From Iron Cages to Forest: Taipei Zoo's Century of Evolution

In 1914, the Japanese colonial government established "Taipei Zoo" at Maruyama (圓山). The exhibition philosophy then was simple: lock rare and exotic beasts in cages for people to marvel at. Concrete floors, iron bars, cramped spaces — animals were exhibits, not living individuals.

When the zoo relocated to Muzha (木柵) in 1986, space expanded and thinking began to shift. Environmental enrichment, behavioral training, conservation breeding — Taipei Zoo began trying to let animals live more like animals.

The Yuan Zai Effect changed everything. In 2013, giant panda cub Yuan Zai was born, triggering island-wide frenzy with tens of thousands flooding the zoo daily. But Yuan Zai's celebrity halo also brought reflection: do we love the animals themselves, or the entertainment they bring?

The story of Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan is more complex. This pair of giant pandas were diplomatic gifts from China, laden with political symbolism. When Tuan Tuan died in 2022, Taiwan mourned an animal — and a chapter of history. Yet behind the warmth, a sharp question persists: is it justified to treat animals as diplomatic pawns?

The Cage-Free Revolution: Hsinchu Zoo's Transformation

In December 2019, Hsinchu Zoo reopened, declaring itself a "zoo without cages." This transformation was philosophically profound.¹

Director Yang Chia-min's (楊家民) position is that animals should not be tools of entertainment. All design starts from animal needs: hippos have deep pools for diving, Malayan tapirs have mud for wallowing, Bengal tigers have woods for hiding.

More radically, Hsinchu Zoo no longer pursues species diversity. It streamlined species, focused on native-species-friendly displays, keeping only those that can truly thrive in the existing environment.

This transformation is not perfect. Critics say space is still too small, animals still imprisoned. But Hsinchu Zoo's significance lies in proving Taiwan has the capacity to break out of traditional frameworks and reimagine human-animal relationships.

The Xpark Storm: Urban Aquarium's Ethical Test

In August 2020, the Japanese-style urban aquarium Xpark opened at Gloria Outlets (華泰名品城) in Taoyuan. Dazzling light and shadow, avant-garde design — opening sparked immediate animal welfare discussion. But behind the beauty lay an animal welfare black hole.

Within a year, problems erupted in succession:

• Stingrays developed wounds, suspected from collisions due to insufficient space
• Penguins showed abnormal behavior, swimming repetitively in cramped quarters
• Intense lighting disrupted nocturnal animals' circadian rhythms
• Excessive noise, marine animals enduring stress amid crowds

WooWoo Media's (窩窩媒體) in-depth investigation detonated public debate.² Supporters said Xpark brings conservation education; critics questioned whether this is "animal abuse packaged as entertainment."

The core of the Xpark controversy is: does the urban aquarium's business model itself comply with animal welfare? When entertainment value conflicts with animal welfare, which side do we choose?

This debate continues today, but it has already changed Taiwanese society's understanding of performing animals.

The Vanishing Circus: Twilight of Animal Performance

Remember tigers jumping through fire hoops, monkeys riding unicycles, seals balancing balls? These were once classic scenes in Taiwanese circuses, now nearly extinct.

In the 1990s, Mulam Circus (木蘭馬戲團) and Asia Circus (亞洲馬戲團) toured Taiwan, animal performances as headline acts. But as animal rights awareness rose, these performances faced increasing scrutiny: is training cruel? Do animals truly "enjoy" performing?

The key turning point was the 2018 amendment to the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法), strengthening regulations on performing animals. Though not a total ban, complex application procedures and strict inspection standards made it difficult for traditional circuses to continue.

Replacing them are animal-free circuses. Cirque du Soleil, FOCA Formosa Circus Art (福爾摩沙馬戲團) use human bodies and creativity to replace animal acts. Taiwanese discovered circuses without animals are equally spectacular.

Marine Parks' Predicament

Taiwan's marine performance venues stand at a historical crossroads.

Taiwan currently has only two cetacean performance operators: Farglory Ocean Park (遠雄海洋公園) in Hualien (4 bottlenose dolphins + 1 spotted dolphin) and Yehliu Ocean World (野柳海洋世界) in New Taipei (10 bottlenose dolphins). Both performance permits expire in 2026. The countdown to "dolphin shows entering history" has begun.

In July 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture (農業部) announced the revised Regulations for the Management of Animal Exhibition and Performance, formally bringing cetacean performances under regulation.³ The Ocean Conservation Administration (海保署) also established a "Cetacean Performance Transition Guidance Group", comprising scholars, civil groups, and local governments, with a clear core direction: gradually phase out entertainment performances, shift to educational display models.

Farglory's response is transitioning to a "Dolphin Sanctuary Base": no more performances, but no release either (dolphins captive for years cannot return to the sea), instead using educational display to let the public understand dolphins. The park emphasizes: "Dolphins won't disappear; the public can still see them."

But Yehliu exploded. In 2024, Yehliu Ocean World bred a calf in captivity, directly colliding with the social consensus of "phasing out." Animal protection groups' questioning is sharp: in an era when society has begun opposing dolphin performances, continuing to let dolphins produce offspring in pools — isn't that condemning more dolphins to a life in cages from birth?

Because the calf's birth date exceeded the breeding permit period, the Ocean Conservation Administration fined Yehliu under the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法), but the fine was only NT$10,000. This figure itself is an absurdity: the price of a life, ten thousand dollars.

Chou Chin-shan (周瑾珊), Deputy Executive Director of the Life Conservationist Association (關懷生命協會), said in the transition group: "They were supposed to live in the ocean, forcibly dragged onto land — shouldn't humans understand what these captive individuals have sacrificed for us?"

She also emphasized: "They are living lives, not teaching tools for human viewing."

This dolphin show's exit marks a pivotal moment when Taiwanese society redefines "the relationship between humans and marine animals."

Regulations and Reality: Challenges of the Animal Exhibition and Performance Management Regulations

The Regulations for the Management of Animal Exhibition and Performance were promulgated in 2016, giving Taiwan its first dedicated regulations for performing animals.⁴ Provisions include:

• Exhibition/performance venues require permits
• Minimum standards for animal husbandry environments
• Professional veterinarians must be assigned
• Regular animal welfare inspections

But enforcement faces reality challenges. Taiwan has fewer than 20 animal welfare inspectors to oversee hundreds of exhibition/performance venues. Low inspection frequency, insufficient professional personnel, light penalties — reducing regulations to paper talk.

A more fundamental problem: current regulations still take "management" as their starting point, not "animal rights." Animals remain "property" in law, not rights-holders. Until this positioning changes, no matter how strict the management regulations, they only treat symptoms, not root causes.

New Challenges in the Social Media Era

Instagram and TikTok have changed the performing animal ecosystem. Pet cafés, animal restaurants, capybara interaction experiences — these "lightweight" animal contact activities have become social media traffic magnets.

The Bali Pet Restaurant Incident (八里寵物餐廳事件) is the latest alarm bell. In early 2026, New Taipei City's Animal Protection Office inspected a Bali District restaurant featuring rabbit interaction, discovering mass rabbit deaths, multiple scabies infections, causes pointing to long-term improper husbandry, malnutrition, and lack of veterinary care for illness.⁵

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

These "micro performing animals" are scattered across Taiwan, yet skirt regulatory edges. Unlike zoos they lack strict oversight; unlike circuses they need no permits; yet they face the same animal welfare issues.

Taiwan Society's Zoo Spectrum

Taiwanese society's evaluation of zoos has never been uniform; different generations, different educational backgrounds stand at starkly different positions.

Taiwan's attitude toward "whether zoos should exist" shows clear generational and value differences:

Traditional Supporters believe zoos have educational functions, letting urban children know animals, cultivating conservation awareness. "Without zoos, how would my child know what an elephant looks like?"

Modern Conservationists support reformed zoos, emphasizing conservation breeding, reintroduction, environmental education. Zoos should be "animal shelters," not entertainment venues.

Animal Rights Advocates demand abolition of all forms of animal captivity, believing no environment can replace freedom. "Do animals have choice? Did they consent to being displayed?"

Pragmatists acknowledge realistic constraints, support gradual reform. "Perfect ideals are beautiful, but real animals need immediate improvement."

This spectrum has no right or wrong, but reflects Taiwanese society's deep contemplation on human-animal relationships.

Stunning Facts

Taipei Zoo, from its 1914 founding to today, spans over 110 years, making it one of Asia's oldest zoos. Hsinchu Zoo's approach of streamlining species and focusing on native-species-friendly display has almost no precedent in the Asian zoo community. Taiwan's traditional circus animal performances nearly vanished after the 2010s, replaced by animal-free circuses.

Taiwan has only two remaining cetacean performance operators, both permits expiring in 2026. Yehliu's 2024 unauthorized breeding of a dolphin calf drew a mere NT$10,000 fine — the figure itself an absurdity. The Animal Exhibition and Performance Management Regulations were enacted in 2016, but enforcement manpower is severely lacking; Taiwan's animal welfare inspectors are few and far between.

• 🐰 Early 2026 Bali rabbit restaurant incident: rabbits died in large numbers, exposing the regulatory vacuum of "micro exhibitions"
• 📱 The most popular animal interaction content on social media is often the highest animal welfare risk scenarios
• 🌏 Taiwan is one of the few Asian regions with dedicated laws regulating performing animals, yet regulations still position animals as "property" rather than rights-holders

Taiwan's performing animal regulations are advanced by Asian standards, but a significant gap remains between institutional design and actual enforcement.

Future: Redefining Human-Animal Relationships

Taiwan's zoo evolution is a microcosm of the entire society's moral progress. We are beginning to understand that animals have their own needs and rights, deserving respect.

Over the next decade, Taiwan may see:

More zoos transforming into conservation centers or wildlife shelters, with "rewilding and release" becoming a core mission. Virtual reality technology may replace some live animal displays, letting conservation education no longer depend on animals' physical exhibition. Meanwhile, social media platforms and competent authorities both face pressure over whether to restrict performing animal content.

But the most important change may be conceptual: shifting from "animals serve humans" to "humans coexist with animals."

This road is still long. Every choice (which zoo to visit, which animal performance to support, whether to like or report on social media) is a vote for Taiwan's animal welfare.

The future of zoos is our choice.

Further Reading

• Taiwan Veterinary Drug Controversy — From performing animal ethical disputes to legal gaps in pet medication, all are different facets of the same question: Taiwan's law still hasn't learned how to regard "those lives that are neither human nor property"

References

• WooWoo Media - Taiwan's most important independent media on animal issues
• Taiwan Animal Studies Association — Long-term advocacy organization focused on performing animal issues
• Hsinchu Zoo — "Zoo Without Cages" practice
• Taipei Zoo — Taiwan's oldest zoo