After days of gloomy weather, the sun finally came out yesterday, and a couple from Taipei went hiking on Yangmingshan. But when they were about to descend, they unexpectedly encountered a family of four wild bison “blocking the path.” Fearing that making noise might provoke an attack, the couple didn’t dare to move. As it grew darker, they had no choice but to call for help. Both the National Park Administration and the fire department rushed to the scene, carefully herding the well-fed bison off the trail and escorting the couple down the mountain to safety.
According to an Apple Daily breaking news report, the rescued couple told police and firefighters that they were about 600 meters up the “Dingshan Shitiling Trail” on Yangmingshan when they were stopped by a group of water buffaloes. Worried that trying to shoo them away might lead to an attack, and with the mountain area rainy and overgrown with wild grass, they feared taking a detour in the slippery conditions could be even more dangerous—so they called for assistance. The two could only stand quietly at a distance from the animals until rescuers arrived and safely guided them through the trail, allowing them to return home unharmed.
United Daily News also reported that this fire department “public service” case sparked discussion afterward. Some believe such incidents shouldn’t be handled by the fire brigade, calling it a clear waste of national emergency resources and manpower. However, many netizens argued that given the overgrown, grassy hillside and poor weather conditions, the couple’s request for police and firefighter assistance was entirely reasonable.