Sat, Aug 15, 2026 page3

• Two people die, one critical after attack by hornets

  • By Tsai Tsung-hsien and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA
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  Two people were yesterday stung to death and one was in critical condition after the three allegedly deviated from approved paths in the Sizihkou (溪仔口) area in Kenting National Park and were attacked by Asian giant hornets.

  Sources said the Kaohsiung Branch of the Chinese Taipei Mountaineering Association had notified the Kenting National Park Headquarters of its planned activity at Sizihkou.

  However, for reasons that remain unclear, the three hikers, all tour guides with the branch, entered Lide Village (里德) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州) on Wednesday to scout a route from the Lanren Creek (欖仁溪) to Chufengbi (出風鼻).

  

  The Chufengbi grassland in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township is pictured in an undated photograph.

  Photo courtesy of Kenting National Park Headquarters

  According to the national park, at about 7pm on Thursday, Lide Village chief Lin Chih-chiang (林智強) noticed that the group’s vehicle was still in the parking area.

  Lin alerted the park headquarters’ Nanrenshan Management Station, which oversees the area, prompting staff to contact the hikers’ family after identifying the vehicle through its license plate. Police were then notified and missing persons reports filed.

  At 8:50am yesterday, a search team comprising 12 members of the Kaohsiung Rescue Association and one firefighter from Manjhou Township’s Fire Station entered the creek area to search for the trio.

  At 9:40am, the rescue team established contact with one of the hikers, a woman surnamed Chang (張), the park headquarters said.

  Chang told rescuers by phone that the group had been attacked by Asian giant hornets, and her two male companions appeared to have lost vital signs.

  She said she had also been stung and had retreated to the Chufengbi Trail to await rescue, the park headquarters said.

  Local residents said the section from Lanren Creek to Chufengbi is an old trail that has not been used by residents or hunters for years. The area is not among the ecological conservation trails or beach-cleanup zones that is open to the public.

  With few people venturing into the area for years, the remote, densely forested terrain has become a haven for wild hornets, feral cattle and other wildlife, they added.

  The Kenting National Park urged the public to abide by park rules and not to venture beyond designated areas to prevent incidents like yesterday.

  Visitors to mountainous regions should wear a hat and long-sleeved shirts, it said, adding that they should not spray cologne or perfume, which would attract bees or hornets.

  If visitors see two or three bees or hornets loitering in an area, they should be on their guard and should not attempt to swat them, as the action could cause them to release pheromones which would summon other bees, it said.

  If they see or are attacked by bees, they should cover their heads with their clothes, stoop low, keep calm and slowly leave the area, it said.

  The national park authorities also urged people to be more careful when venturing into the mountains after rainfall, as bees and hornets are likely to be more irritable and aggressive after being forced to huddle in the hive due to the rain.
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