Taiwan is working to protect a rare dragonfly species that is found only in Nantou. Sympetrum nantouensis was only discovered by researchers in 2013.
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00:00Known for its distinctive small and bright abdomen,
00:04this is the Xianhongqingting, the slim red dragonfly.
00:08It's a species endemic to Taiwan
00:11and only found in the country's mountainous county of Nantou.
00:15We only find it in Yuchi, Puli and Guoxing.
00:19I think it's a treasure.
00:20Already considered a rare species,
00:23the insect is facing habitat loss
00:26as it relies on land slowly being developed.
00:29Out of the 40 sites we surveyed,
00:33quite a few have lost their habitat
00:36and have been flattened to build houses.
00:39To protect the dragonfly,
00:41the government is teaming up with volunteers
00:44to conduct ecological surveys and promote its conservation.
00:48We will conduct training for volunteers
00:51and civil scientists
00:54to monitor and protect the dragonfly.
00:58Nantou is home to more than half of Taiwan's 160 species of dragonflies.
01:03With the government working with the local community,
01:06there is growing hope that this rare species
01:09may one day thrive in the area,
01:11making Nantou a safe haven for these special creatures.
01:15Patrick Chen and Sani Qi for Taiwan Plus.