A group of boy scouts from northern Taiwan took advantage of the Qingming holiday to embark on a three-day, two-night eco-experience along the Walami Trail in Daren Township, Hualien. The next morning, they were surprised to find three yellow-throated martens feasting on leftover food that hikers had failed to take with them. The martens showed no fear even as humans approached. Though seeing such “cute” yellow-throated martens up close was thrilling, the experience left the group with mixed feelings—they worried that the wildlife’s habit of eating human food might cause them to lose their survival instincts in the wild.
Wang Guohui, a director of the Taipei City Boy Scouts Association who captured the photos, said he was very excited to have photographed the martens at such close range. However, seeing humans carelessly discard food waste, which then attracted the martens, made him concerned that these protected animals were becoming unafraid of people. He fears this could eventually lead to them losing their hunting abilities. Wang hopes hikers will take their trash with them and support the “Leave No Trace” philosophy in the mountains.
(China Times)