TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A young man died after a collision with a Formosan sika deer in Pingtung’s Kenting National Park early Sunday (May 28) morning.

The crash happened around 4 a.m. on Sheding Park Road. The man, a 20-year-old surnamed Hsieh (謝), suffered serious injuries, while the deer was killed instantly. Hsieh was transported to a nearby hospital where he died from his injuries.

According to UDN, this is Taiwan’s first reported incident of a scooter rider dying as a result of a collision with a sika deer.



Sightings of deer and other wildlife are common where the collision occurred, but the park’s deer are usually very cautious. There are many signs posted throughout the park warning motorists to keep an eye out for wild animals, per UDN.

Due to the remote area where the accident happened, it was almost an hour later before police and emergency medical responders arrived on the scene to transport Hsieh to the hospital.

Authorities found that Hsieh was intoxicated at the time of the accident, as he had just left a temple fair event and was driving to a friend’s house. He was also reportedly riding the scooter without a license, per UDN.

The report noted that the population of Formosan Sika deer in the region has been on the increase over the past several years, with a current estimated population of between 1,500 and 2,000 in Taiwan.