Rukai legend and remote location protect wetlands
The wetlands around Siiaoguei Lake (小鬼湖) in Taitung County is home to one of Taiwan’s most pristine high-elevation habitats and is considered a sacred place by local Rukai communities.
The wetlands are known for their ecological diversity, and while that might be partly due to their remote location in a nearly inaccessible part of Taiwan, they also benefit from a Rukai legend that makes hunting near the lake taboo.
Known in the Rukai language as Taidrengere (“Little Ghost”), the lake sits at an elevation of 2,050m above sea level on the border of Taitung and Pingtung counties. It covers 18 hectares and has a maximum depth of 1.5m.
The area was incorporated into the Dawushan Nature Reserve (大武山自然保留區) when the reserve was established in 1988. It was designated as the Taidrengere Important Wetland in 2018 due to its importance as a wildlife habitat.
The most recent ecological survey of the wetland, conducted from 2020 to 2021 by National Pingtung University of Science and Technology professor Wang Chih-chiang (王志強), recorded 23 mammal species, including the endangered Formosan black bear and Formosan serow.
The survey also documented 41 species of birds, two reptile species, five amphibian species and two types of fish, as well as 158 plant species, of which 10 were on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ Red List of threatened species.
As with many high-elevation lakes, Siiaoguei Lake was originally fishless, although it now has established populations of common carp and pond loaches, Taitung Forest District Office head Wu Chang-yu (吳昌祐) said.
The common carp is the lone survivor of a 1979 Pingtung County Government initiative that also tried to introduce catfish and grass carp to the lake, while the pond loaches — which normally live at low elevations — were likely released by a visitor, Wu said.
The Rukai legend that has helped keep the area’s environment pristine is the story of “Princess Baleng and the Snake King.” Read More…
