KAOHSIUNG (TVBS News) — The Parks Office of the Public Works Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government (高雄市工務局公園處), on Tuesday (Aug. 20) urged residents to cooperate with traffic controls to ensure a safe migration environment for the Cardisoma carnifex (兇狠圓軸蟹), Taiwan's largest land crab species.
Yuanzhong Harbor Wetland (援中港濕地), a significant wetland in Kaohsiung, witnesses thousands of these crabs crossing perilous roads from June to August each year to reach the ocean and release their larvae.
Kaohsiung City Public Works Bureau Director Yang Chin-fu (楊欽富) noted that the wetland's western waters connect to the Dianbao River (典寶溪), forming a brackish mangrove ecosystem ideal for various land and fiddler crabs.
The journey to the sea poses numerous threats to the egg-carrying female crabs, including roadkill and human capture. The northern dike road in the western section of Yuanzhong Harbor Wetland is the primary route for these crabs to release their larvae.
To protect the crab population, authorities conduct regular ecological hotspot surveys and bolster patrols, guidance, and traffic control during the release period.
Additionally, Wetlands Taiwan (台灣濕地保護聯盟) organizes multiple nighttime land crab observation activities each summer. These events feature lectures on mangrove ecosystems, guided tours of crab burrows, and outdoor ecological observations.
Residents are encouraged to participate in these activities and support conservation efforts to ensure the survival of these unique crabs.