Three 8-year-old school children were injured when a buffalo knocked down a child in Pui O, Lantau Island.
Conservationists criticized the government's ineffective monitoring of Pui O's mud piling problem, and failed to prevent illegal holiday camps, resulting in a sharp decline in buffalo habitat.
People familiar with the ecology of Lantau’s buffalo said that the buffalo "Lonely Spirit" suspected of hitting people was the former cow king, and his old age was replaced by the new cow king. However, due to the sharp decline in habitat, he was ousted when he wanted to return to the "old nest". The chasing incident eventually caused 3 innocent injuries to the school children.
How did the former chairman of the Lantau Buffalo Protection Association explain that when the season changes before winter, the buffalo will occupy the habitat for the winter. Because a piece of land can only accommodate one "ox king", and the entire wetland of Pui O only has two buffalo colonies. That is, Pui O can only accommodate two "Bull Kings".
He pointed out that "Lonely Spirit" had served as the cow king for many years, but was driven out by the new cow king due to his old age and could only nomadic herder in the surrounding areas.
But because of the shrinking habitat, the "Lonely Spirit" has nowhere to stay, and has always wanted to return to the "old nest" behind the Pei Ao Primary School.
However, the new bull king did not welcome other bulls to enter his territory, so he "learned" the "lone spirit" who tried to occupy the habitat, leading to the chase incident.
He Lai lamented, "The children were injured innocently because the previous generation did not do well in childcare, and the places where (water buffalo) could have contact were not buried." She described the Pui O water buffalo knows how to get along with humans, and many neighbourhoods will take care of them. However, in recent years, a large area of wetland near Pui O Beach was originally a buffalo habitat, and large-scale filling works have occurred, which has greatly reduced the living space of buffaloes.
She criticized the government for taking the most responsibility for the accident, saying that the development of mountain bike trails and sewage treatment projects would damage the local ecology.
"Niu Ma" Liang Shaohua unanimously described the government as "the biggest environmental destroyer." He believed that the construction of Chi Ma Wan mountain bike trails and the construction of sewage pumping stations in Pui O exploited cattle's residences, and pointed out that cattle are the original inhabitants.
She confessed that in the past, there were frequent incidents affecting villagers such as cattle chasing or damaging fences. She also described herself as "a target of public criticism."
But she believes that the problem is that the living space of cattle is getting smaller and smaller, but the government is indifferent.
She continued that it is necessary to say that the government implements the overall principle of "development in the north and conservation of the south" in the Lantau Blueprint and believes that the government only cares about "development in the north."
Xie Shijie, the convener of the Lantau Protection Alliance, who has been following up on Pui O’s landfill problem for many years, said that in the past two or three years, existing wetlands in the buffalo habitat were converted into holiday camps, and the asking price exceeded 2,000 yuan a night. Unimpeded operation.
In addition, in a wetland near the Victoria Mountain Villa in Pui O, some owners also used barbed wire to enclose the land, all of which have greatly reduced the area of buffalo habitat.
"Hong Kong 01" is making enquiries with the Lands Department and Fisheries Conservation Department.
In the past ten years, there have been accidents caused by people living in the same house on Lantau Island. On October 2, 2020, an old woman in Pui O was injured by a buffalo knocked down and was sent to the hospital for 12 stitches.
On June 6, 2013, a herd of cattle was hit and killed by a car on South Lantau Road, Lantau Island. Five cattle died tragically on the spot and three cattle were destroyed humanely.
There are more than 150 buffaloes in Lantau
According to the AFCD, the number of cattle on Lantau Island has dropped from 225 in 2013 to 170 in 2018, but the number of buffaloes has increased from 75 in 2013 to 120. It is estimated that the number of buffaloes now exceeds 150.
As of December last year, the management team had neutered 20 cattle on Lantau Island last year, which was less than the previous year’s 70, and received 20 cases of cattle injuries, of which 2 required humane destruction.
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[Mud head hits Lantau] Pui O dumped mud application, the Environmental Protection Department of the Town Planning Board fights against Taiwan, and the city rules are incapable of building holiday camps in the Pui O Wetland illegally or the adjacent land is nailed to be filled with mud. Can
▼▼Pei Ao bull hitting schoolchildren▼▼
The boy was injured and fell to the ground.
(Hong Kong Emergency Reporting Area)
Pui O buffalo in Lantau Island was cut in multiple places and the scrotum was cut. Concern group: human factors are not excluded.
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