Hong Kong wildlife officials put down 28 wild boars since start of urban area kill policy
- Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has mounted operations in five ‘black spots’ and launched another seven after referrals from police
- Department chief Leung Siu-fai says more than 60 black spots in urban areas still need to be dealt with
Leung Siu-fai, director of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, on Sunday said 20 cases of wild boars injuring residents had been reported this year, mainly on Hong Kong Island.
“We will continue to catch some wild boars that are habitually haunting urban areas, are not afraid of people, and even pose a safety threat to the public,” he said.
The department has mounted operations in five “black spots” and launched another seven after referrals from police. A total of 28 wild boars were captured and euthanised.
Asked if the department would continue with the strategy of culling the wild animals, Leung said more than 60 black spots in urban areas needed to be dealt with.
“For sure in some spots we can use other methods, such as improving the design of trash cans or through education and law enforcement, to reduce the number of people feeding wild boars,” Leung said. “As for other black spots, we will continue to adopt the strategy.”
In an operation on Kotewall Road in Central on Thursday, wildlife officials tranquillised the animals using dart guns and then put them down with an injection of drugs. Officials have also used food to lure boars into a capture area in other operations.
