During a visit to Taijiang National Park, because there are many unfamiliar animals or plants in their wild environment, if we accidentally frighten or touch them, it could possibly lead to fatal danger. Therefore, we have summarized some descriptions of dangers that you could face in the park below. We hope that you could pay attention to your own safety while you visit Taijiang National Park.
If a visitor is harmed by animal or plant in the park, please dial the emergency number 119 or other direct phone lines: Taijiang National Park Headquarters (06)3910000；Liukong Service Station (06)7880220；Taijiang National Park Police Force (06)3910220。
1. Poisonous snakebite
A. Various poisonous snake poison introduction
a. Hemorrhagic poison snakes:
(1) Trimeresurus stejnegeri, highest biting rate to humans;
(2)Trimeresuurus mucrosquamatus;
(3) Agkistrodon acute, it has the highest amount of poison, thus has the highest rate of causing death.
b. Neurological poison snakes:
(1)Cobra (Naja naja atra);
(2) Bungarus multicinctus, high rate of causing death
c. Mixed poison snakes:
(1) Vipera russell Formosensis, mostly located in Southern Taiwan and mountain areas of Eastern Taiwan
B. Symptoms
a. Hemorrhagic poison snakes:
(1) Locality - Immediate burning sensation and swelling
(2) Systemic - Bleeding in intestines, bloody urine and systemic bleeding symptoms
b. Neurological poison snakes:
(1) Locality - Not too much swelling
(2) Systemic - Losing consciousness and respiratory paralysis within 2 to 72 hours
C. Treatment
a. Remember the characteristics of the snake.
b. Stay calm and decrease movement.
c. Take off rings and wristbands and other binding items.
d. Stabilize the hurt limp and position it lower than heart, using elastic bandage to tie the limp in the near end but should not affect blood from flowing.
e. Seek medical care as soon as possible.
D. Prevention
a. Snakes usually would not attach proactively, do not intentionally provoke them.
b. When entering the forest or bush, you should wear long sleeve clothing or pants, high boots and gloves.
c. Avoid being around bushes or rock piles during early morning or at night.
2. Poisonous plants
A. Various poisonous plants introduction:
The common plant poisons are categorized as follow: anti-acetylcholine type (like Hindu Datura), acetylcholine type (including gentian, aconite roots, aconitum kusnezoffii, betel nut and such), oxalates type (like Giant elephant's ear, calla lily, peace lily, dumbplant, Chinese evergreen, golden pothos and such), and glucosidal type (like horse bean, common foxglove, oleander, sea mango, Aizoon Stonecrop Herb and such).
B. Symptoms and treatments
a. Anti-acetylcholine type (like Hindu Datura)
It could cause delirium, inarticulate, speeding heart rate, dry skin, blush skin, pupil dilation, muscle cramp, high body temperature, inability to urine, Intestinal peristalsis sounds decreased, serious patients could develop spasms, irregular heart rate, on-site treatment can have patients lying on their left side for transferring and provide supportive treatment majorly.
b. Acetylcholine type (including gentian, aconite roots, aconitum kusnezoffii, betel nut and such)
Blurred consciousness, CNS depressing, feeling weak, hydrostomia, tearing, urinary incontinence, feces incontinence, vomiting, sharp stomachache, sweating, muscle fiber spasms, pulmonary edema, contracted pupil, slowing heart rate, convulsion and others. On-site treatment can have patients lying on their left side for transferring and provide supportive treatment majorly. If the patient has low blood pressure or experiencing unconsciousness, they can be transferred with their feet position higher than their heads.
c. Poisonous mushrooms:
Sometimes it's difficult to distinguish between poisonous and edible mushrooms, even the experts could make mistake, they are still poisonous after sun-dried and boiled, thus do not try unidentified mushroom.
d. Glucosidal type:
A piece of toad skin could cause death, so it should not be eaten, as well as a leaf of oleander, using it as chopsticks would be poisonous also, thus need to be careful. On-site treatment can have patients lying on their left side for transferring and provide supportive treatment majorly. If the patient has low blood pressure or experiencing unconsciousness, they can be transferred with their feet position higher than their heads.
C. Prevention
a. For any unfamiliar or colorful fruit or flowers, avoid picking and eating them.
b. When entering the forest or bush, you should wear long sleeve clothing or pants, high boots and gloves in avoiding cuts by plants.
c. If touch the fluid from plants, please wash with water as soon as possible in preventing allergic reaction or eating accidentally.
3. Bee stings
A. Symptoms
a. Locality: local blush, swelling, heating sensation, pain or minor itchy
b. Poison symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty to swallow, spasms, blurred consciousness, fever, edema, blood pressure decreasing, shock and others
c. Allergic reaction: coughing, swollen eyelid, itchy, urticarial, difficulty to breath, blood pressure decreasing, coma and others
B. Treatment
a. Use needle to pick out the sting.
b. Use soap water or disinfectant to wash the wound.
c. Cold press to ease swelling and itch.
d. Neutralize using Adrenaline serum.
e. Seek immediate medical attention for serious patients.
C. Prevention
a. When walk in forest, avoid wearing colorful or bright-colored cloth, white cloth and green hat is suitable and always pay attention to tree tops, in grass or soil piles.
b. Avoid using perfume, hair gel or any products that contains spices.
c. Wear long sleeve cloth, pants and wear gloves as possible.
d. When running into a swarm of bees, stay calm and move slowly, avoid slapping or fast moving, if unable to run away, you can stay low and cover your head with hands.
※ Reference: Mountain-climbing medical booklet