Two hikers found themselves in intensive care in Taichung yesterday following an assault by an orangutan of unknown origin, according to Chinese-language media reports.
The dawn attack occurred along a hiking trail on Takeng (大坑) mountain, just outside Taichung City.
One of the hikers, Tsai Tzu-pin (蔡資彬), 67, suffered injuries to his leg, back and genitals during the scuffle with the aggressive primate. The other, Chen Yen-ching (陳燕清), 65, also suffered wounds to the limbs.
PHOTO: CHANG HSIEH-SHENG, LIBERTY TIMES
Tsai said the male orangutan pulled off Tsai's pants and tried to grab his genitals during a tussle which lasted almost 20 minutes.
The orangutan then let go of Tsai and turned to Chen, who hit the animal with his cane, the report said.
Chen then wrangled with it for another hour or so, and finally succeeded by whispering gentle words to persuade the animal to let go of him.
The orangutan first appeared in the area on Wednesday morning, but escaped from firefighters and veterinarians who tried to catch him, even after being hit with two shots from anaesthetic guns.
The two hikers said the orangutan first appeared to be asking them for food, which they did not have on hand. It then suddenly turned wild and started attacking them, the hikers said.
The two men were found by other hikers and sent to the nearby Cheng Ching Hospital.
The attack prompted a massive hunt by firefighters and agricultural and forestry experts across the mountains. The orangutan was finally caught around noon after eating bananas containing anaesthetic pills and having been given several more shots of anaesthetic.
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
FALSE DOCUMENTS? Actor William Liao said he was ‘voluntarily cooperating’ with police after a suspect was accused of helping to produce false medical certificates Police yesterday questioned at least six entertainers amid allegations of evasion of compulsory military service, with Lee Chuan (李銓), a member of boy band Choc7 (超克7), and actor Daniel Chen (陳大天) among those summoned. The New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office in January launched an investigation into a group that was allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified medical documents. Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) has been accused of being one of the group’s clients. As the investigation expanded, investigators at New Taipei City’s Yonghe Precinct said that other entertainers commissioned the group to obtain false documents. The main suspect, a man surnamed
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer began talks with high-ranking Chinese officials in Switzerland yesterday aiming to de-escalate a dispute that threatens to cut off trade between the world’s two biggest economies and damage the global economy. The US delegation has begun meetings in Geneva with a Chinese delegation led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰), Xinhua News Agency said. Diplomats from both sides also confirmed that the talks have begun, but spoke anonymously and the exact location of the talks was not made public. Prospects for a major breakthrough appear dim, but there is
The number of births in Taiwan fell to an all-time monthly low last month, while the population declined for the 16th consecutive month, Ministry of the Interior data released on Friday showed. The number of newborns totaled 8,684, which is 704 births fewer than in March and the lowest monthly figure on record, the ministry said. That is equivalent to roughly one baby born every five minutes and an annual crude birthrate of 4.52 per 1,000 people, the ministry added. Meanwhile, 17,205 deaths were recorded, resulting in a natural population decrease of 8,521, the data showed. More people are also leaving Taiwan, with net
RSS