Feature Story
2025/02/12
ASUS is Among The First to Earn Biodiversity Certification for Pangolin Habitat Project
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Did you know that pangolins have their own exclusive day? Every third Saturday in February is World Pangolin Day, established in 2014 by the IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group to raise awareness about this silent and gentle endangered species. Dr. Jing-Min Sun from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, a distinguished expert in pangolin research, points out that pangolins significantly contribute to the natural environment. The ants they miss while foraging can become food for other nearby ants, thereby energizing the local ecological chain. Research also indicates that their digging activities create microclimates on the ground surface, promoting soil nutrient cycling and providing essential ecosystem services.
Coinciding with World Pangolin Day, ASUS launched its " Daxue Mountain Middle-Altitude Pangolin Habitat Enhancement and Conservation Project" in 2024. The annual results of this initiative were recognized by the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture in January 2025, making ASUS one of the first certified companies. Collaborating with Dr. Jing-Min Sun’s team and the Kuan-Shu Educational Foundation, ASUS aims to gather more effective data on pangolins and understand the impact of conventional farming and grass cultivation on their habitats through research in the mid-altitude regions of Daxue Mountain.
In 2024, the research focused on interviews with forest farmers and habitat surveys. The goal was to deeply understand the relationship between generational forest farmers on leased national forest land and the local environment, as well as to identify the context and locations of pangolin habitats. This information helps the research team determine the relationship between pangolin habitats and grass cultivation farming methods. At least 90% of the interviewed forest farmers reported seeing pangolins in their farms. The research team then searched for pangolin burrows around the 14K Fushan Lane area along the Daxue Mountain forest road, discovering 13 burrows near the ridgeline along the roadside, suggesting that the pangolin habitat is very close to the community. Additionally, a high misidentification rate of burrows was observed when comparing reported habitats from residents. These factors have led to the planning of community pangolin conservation education and training in 2025 to enhance farmers' ability to identify pangolin areas and habitats, provide emergency rescue training, and establish a reporting mechanism.
As a leading technology company, ASUS understands that beyond project actions, educational outreach on these issues can have a greater impact, helping the public understand the relationship between the natural environment, humans, and the ecosystem. In 2024, Chairman Jonney Shih attended a press conference hosted by the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture to discuss the "Natural Carbon Sink and Biodiversity Project Matching Platform." With a data-driven mindset, ASUS manages natural risks and pledges to invest in project actions to enhance ecological value. The company also released its first Natural Impact Assessment Report, constructing a natural capital strategy map centered on managing within and beyond the value chain, addressing natural environment issues comprehensively and systematically. To help employees better understand pangolins and the project, ASUS organized a pangolin documentary and panel discussion event, featuring insights from experts and scholars to raise awareness of natural environment protection among employees. The "Daxue Mountain Middle-Altitude Pangolin Habitat Enhancement and Conservation Project" is a three-year research initiative. In the future, ASUS will use diverse educational outreach and thematic reports to increase public awareness of biodiversity and natural environment issues.
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