Four Men Indicted for Hunting Sika Deer in Kenting; Claimed it was for Consoling a Family in Mourning

Four men from Majia Township, Pingtung County, used homemade shotguns to hunt Formosan sika deer within the boundaries of Kenting National Park. Following their arrest, they defended their actions as part of an indigenous cultural tradition to console a family in mourning. However, the Pingtung District Prosecutors Office determined that the incident occurred outside of designated indigenous areas and had resulted in the death of a deer, subsequently indicting them for violating the National Park Law. According to the indictment, on September 29, 2024, the men drove to a location 2.5 kilometers along Gongyuan Road in Hengchun, where they shot and killed a deer. They were intercepted by a police patrol while transporting the carcass. Although the Indigenous Peoples Basic Law allows for non-profit hunting in designated areas, the prosecution noted that Hengchun is not an officially recognized indigenous region, thus making the illegal hunt a serious violation.