Xinwulu Creek Wildlife Refuge Introduction
The upper stream of the New Wulu River is the Dalun River, originating from the Sancha Mountain in the Central Mountain Range. The Wulu River and the Wulaku Stream are two major upstream tributaries. The three rivers converge at the New Wulu Bridge in the New Wulu Village, flowing southeast through Chulai and Xinxing, and change to the Beinan River at Wan’an Village in Chishang Township. On December 4, 1998, the Taitung County Government established the New Wulu River Fish Protection Zone, which ranges from the Lakulake Hot Spring in the Dalun River, the Lidiao Bridge in the Wulu River, and 5.5 kilometers of the Wulaku Stream, extending to the Chulai Bridge in the New Wulu River, covering a total length of 37.1 kilometers and an area of 292 hectares. The fish species found in the protection zone include the critically endangered high-bodied shovel-nosed fish, as well as the precious and rare protected species such as the European eel and the Taitung climbing loach. Common fish species in the stream include the Japanese sucker, brown-mouthed goby, Taiwan minnow, rough-headed sculpin, Kikuchi's rosy bitterling, and He’s spiny loach. The New Wulu River has clear and clean water quality, rich fish resources, and a diverse ecological environment in the protected area, providing a good living environment for various organisms. In addition to fish, common birds in the river basin include the lead-colored thrush, the red-tailed shrike, the river crow, the green heron, the night heron, the little egret, and the sandpiper. Amphibians include the Pangu toad, the Japanese tree frog, the brown tree frog, the Swinhoe's red frog, and the Latouch's red frog.