During a 3-day, 2-night ecological experience on the Walami Trail in Zhuoxi Township, Hualien, during the Qingming holiday, a scout troop unexpectedly spotted three yellow-throated martens gnawing on leftover food left behind by tourists. The martens showed no fear even when humans approached. Wang Guohui, a director of the Taipei City Scouts Association who was photographing the scene, expressed concern that wildlife consuming human food might lose their instinct for survival in the wild.
Wang Guohui noted that this trip primarily focused on natural and cultural exploration as well as Leave No Trace ethics training. Unexpectedly, they discovered yellow-throated martens unafraid of people. Even staff from the Forestry Bureau were amazed when they saw the photos, commenting that yellow-throated martens are generally very timid animals—yet these were approaching at such close range.
Wang Guohui said that on the morning of the second day after arriving at the mountain hut, he noticed someone had improperly dumped kitchen waste outside, attracting the martens to scavenge. He began documenting the martens from a distance of three meters, gradually crawling closer until he was just 30 centimeters away. Though the martens remained alert, they no longer feared humans—an indication that campers often leave kitchen waste behind at this site.
Wang Guohui expressed concern, saying that although he was thrilled to capture such close-up photos of the yellow-throated martens, seeing humans carelessly discard food scraps that attracted the martens—and caused these protected animals to lose their fear of people—worried him. He fears they may eventually lose their hunting instincts. He urged hikers to take their trash with them and support the principles of “Leave No Trace.”