'Wild man of Taiwan' sought for home invasions in Pingtung County

「台灣野人」在屏東縣私闖民宅

50 year old recluse spotted lounging naked in residence, cooking noodles, playing on Ipad


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A recluse living the wilds of Pingtung County made headlines after he was caught on security cameras breaking into a hostel Friday night while a heavy downpour struck southern Taiwan.

The man, whose name is Lin Jin-Bao (林金寶), has been dubbed the “Wild man of Taiwan” (台灣野人) of Pingtung Country, and is known to live in the low lying mountains and often goes without clothing. On July 19, as heavy rains hit, Lin was recorded by security sauntering around the home entirely naked, cutting vegetables and cooking instant noodles while the rain came down outside.

After finishing his meal and lounging for several hours, which included playing on the homeowner’s Ipad, Lin even washed the dishes he used before leaving the building. Upon leaving he reportedly stole a bicycle and was briefly spotted by some residents of the hostel.

It is common knowledge around Taiwan’s southernmost Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) that Lin, who is 50 years old, regularly sneaks into towns to search for food and discarded items. Lin has reportedly been spotted sneaking into several homes and factories in Manzhou Township (滿州鄉) in recent months.

Lin is already known to police in Manzhou and Hengchun, and they are currently asking the public for assistance to locate him. Liberty Times reports that Lin was previous arrested in Hualien in 2017 for similar conduct, and that he was only recently released from jail in April.

First arrested in 2009, Lin has been living in the wild and sneaking into private property to sleep and prepare meals for a long time. He reportedly left home in 1989 and cut off all contact with his family. He has served in the military and as a crew member of ocean-going vessels.

His experience living in the wild has made him especially difficult to track according to reports. At present, at least five property owners in the Manzhou and Hengchun Counties have reported break-ins by Lin, however there have been no major reports of property damage, only stolen food and bicycles.