Bat Ecology Museum Introduction
The Alishan Railway Tunnel No. 33 was abandoned many years ago due to a landslide. Because of its hidden location, it has become a cave for bats to inhabit. In order to prevent human disturbances, the cave entrance is surrounded by a fence, and the old Shuishalian train station has been transformed into a Bat Ecology Education Center. Through a real-time video system, visitors can learn about the life of bats and promote conservation awareness. The bat species here include the Formosan leaf-nosed bat, the lesser horseshoe bat, and the small-footed bat, all of which are endemic to Taiwan. It has been noted that, in addition to the abandoned Tunnel No. 33 of the Alishan Railway, the Forest Bureau has also found traces of bats in other caves. To understand the habits and population changes of bats in Alishan, the Forest Bureau has allocated funding and commissioned a professional private company to conduct bat ecological photography and activity monitoring, thoroughly documenting bats' diurnal roosting, emergence, nocturnal foraging, reproduction, and hibernation behaviors. On holidays, local residents volunteer as guides, providing explanations about the nature and bat ecology of Shuishalian, allowing visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the area.
