Explainer | Unsure what to do if a wild boar attacks? Hong Kong experts sort truth from hogwash
Wilderness experts share safety tips after woman attacked by wild boar during camping trip on city’s tallest peak
A camping trip on Hong Kong’s tallest peak took an unexpected turn on Saturday morning when a woman was attacked by a wild boar as she slept, with emergency respondents taking her to hospital to treat a 5cm-long wound down one of her legs.
The incident has prompted concerns about camping safety and what trekkers should do if they encounter a wild animal.
The Post talks to experts and shares how to safely navigate wild boars and other precautions nature lovers should take.
1. Where are boars usually seen?
Kevin Chan Kwok-pan, an executive member of the Hong Kong Survival Association, said Tai Mo Shan, Tap Mun, also known as Grass Island, and sections of the MacLehose Trail, a 100km (62-mile) hiking route running from Sai Kung to Tuen Mun, were hotspots for wild boar sightings.
The city has also seen a growing trend of boars straying into Hong Kong’s urban spaces.
Veteran mountaineer Conway Leung Nim-ho said boars were nocturnal animals and came out to scavenge for traces of food left at popular camping sites, especially near rubbish bins.
But the animals tended to avoid going near humans when looking for food, he added.
