INTERVIEW/Jane Goodall praises 30 years of conservation progress in Taiwan

Taipei, June 9 (CNA) World-renowned zoologist and environmental campaigner Jane Goodall praised Taiwan for its progress in wildlife conservation over the past three decades, while also offering suggestions to improve human-wildlife coexistence during her 18th visit to the country.

"When I first came, there was very little attention being paid to the environment," said Goodall, who first visited Taiwan in 1996, in an interview at the Tang Prize Foundation in Taipei on Monday morning.

"But over the years, every time I come back, there is more work being done," the 91-year-old told reporters from several local media outlets, including CNA.

Renowned for her decades-long study of wild chimpanzees in Tanzania, Goodall said that people in Taiwan have shared various stories with her about protecting the environment and wildlife, such as cleaning rivers and rescuing coral environments.

Arriving in Taiwan last Wednesday for her 18th visit, the English primatologist has traveled to various parts of the country during her ongoing trip, including attending an event at a coral conservation center in Keelung last Friday and delivering a public lecture in Taipei on Sunday.

'Corridor' toward coexistence

Asked by CNA about peaceful human-animal coexistence -- particularly in the case of the Formosan black bear, an endangered species in Taiwan that has recently been spotted more frequently near human settlements -- Goodall said the human-bear conflict is global, as the mammals are entering urban areas more often due to habitat loss.

"Because we take their environment away from them," she said, noting that while bears can be "dangerous" in certain situations, "a lot of education is important" when it comes to what the government can do to address human-wildlife conflict.

For other suggestions, Goodall said more people in other countries are working to create "corridors" for wildlife, "so that they can escape the crowded areas and move around."

A wildlife corridor is a strip of wildlife habitat which joins two or more larger areas of similar habitat, playing a critical role in maintaining ecological processes by enabling animal movement, according to a natural resources management document published by the government of New South Wales, Australia.

She said that without measures such as wildlife corridors, wild animals can become trapped in isolated areas and "that's the end of them," adding that the concept is "taking off in many parts of the world."

Helping to rebuild a stolen future

In explaining why she prioritizes speaking to young people, Goodall -- who is also widely recognized for advocating wildlife and environmental conservation through the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) -- said that humans have taken not only the natural habitats of animals but also the future of their own children.

"Young people are the future -- we totally messed up their future, we've been stealing their future for a very long time," Goodall said, referencing the damage caused by the inaction of past generations on environmental issues.

"So we've got to spend time with them and help them understand [that there] is a way forward," she added.

With that mission in mind, one of Goodall's key initiatives is "Roots & Shoots," a youth-led program focused on the well-being of people, animals and the environment. The program is now active in 75 countries, including Taiwan, with members ranging from kindergarteners to university students.

'A window of time'

Spending around 300 days a year traveling for her advocacy work, Goodall was asked by CNA how she stays optimistic and motivated to continue her mission amid accelerating biodiversity loss and inaction by world leaders -- with the Trump administration announcing in January its intention to withdraw for a second time from the Paris Agreement aimed at combating climate change.

"What other options do I have? Do I give up and say it's hopeless?" she said, noting that scientists have indicated there is still "a window of time" to act.

"We've got to make the most of our global network, make enough difference in that time, to at least slow down climate change," she added.

In addition to her work with JGI Taiwan, Goodall -- who is scheduled to leave Taiwan on Tuesday -- is also connected to the island country as the 2020 Tang Prize laureate in Sustainable Development.

Unable to come to Taiwan in 2020 for the award ceremony because of COVID-19, she met with Tang Prize Foundation Chairman Yin Chung-yao (尹崇堯) after the interview and added her signature to the "Table of Honor" during her first visit to the foundation.

The Tang Prize is a biennial award established in 2012 by Taiwanese entrepreneur Samuel Yin (尹衍樑), chairman of the Ruentex Group, to honor those who have made significant contributions in four categories -- sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, sinology and the rule of law.