Visitors to cabins in Yushan National Park should take their trash and leftovers with them when leaving the park to avoid changing the foraging habits of Formosan black bears, Yushan National Park Headquarters said on Thursday.
The office said that it found tracks and upended waste bins near Paiyun Lodge (排雲山莊), Lulin Lodge (鹿林山莊) near the Tataka area (塔塔加) of the park and at a research station near the Nantzuhsien River (楠梓仙溪) on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday last week.
The office contacted National Pingtung University of Science and Technology professor Huang Hsiu-mei (黃秀美), one of Taiwan’s premier experts on Formosan black bears, to identify whether the tracks were left by bears, and Huang confirmed that they were, office Deputy Director Lin Wen-ho (林文和) said.
Some of the trash that had spilled out of the trash cans had bite marks on it, Lin said, adding that it included leftover instant noodle bowls, fruit peels and leaf wrappings for zongzi (粽子, glutinous rice dumplings).
The waste was probably left by travelers hiking around Lulin Lodge, she said, adding that eating instant noodles is a popular way among hikers to “warm up” during cold weather.
“We suspect that the black bears were drawn to the area due to the strong smell of instant noodles,” Lin added.
The Formosan black bear is active in a wide area across the mountains of Hualien County, but is rarely seen in the Tataka area, which is in the northwest of the park, Lin said.
It is the first time in the three decades that he has been at the park that definitive proof of black bear activity in the Tataka area has been found, Lin said.
The office said that it recommends eating in the Tataka area’s cafeteria area or other designated areas.
Visitors should take waste and leftovers with them, the office said, adding that if visitors find black bear footprints nearby, they should contact the nearest park official or Tataka police.
When there are bears nearby, it helps to make noise while walking, stay in groups, leave the terrain before nightfall and refrain from bringing pets, the office said.
If visitors see a bear from a distance, they should not alert it to their presence, the office said.
If the bear notices visitors, they should be careful not to make noise and back away at a brisk pace, it said.
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