Last Tuesday (9th), a male auxiliary policeman was bitten by a wild boar in North Point. The Fisheries and Conservation Department announced three days later that it would regularly capture wild boars in the urban area and destroy them humanely. Wednesday night (17th) The AFCD took the first action on Shum Wan Road in Aberdeen, killing 7 wild boars.
The government's actions have caused social controversy, and some people even questioned that the authorities' policy "swift turn" was only due to the injuries of police officers.
In an interview with "Hong Kong 01" yesterday, Secretary for the Environment Huang Jinxing denied the relevant doubts. He pointed out that the previous "capture and contraception/relocation program" had not worked well. This year, the number of wild boar injuries reached more than 10. "The government has done it in the past six months. The figures are worried, and I feel that it needs to be strengthened for the safety of the general public. In fact, (new measures) have been brewing for some time."
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The Fisheries and Conservation Department has introduced the regularization of wild boar catching and contraception/relocation programs in 2017, and has dealt with the problem of wild boar nuisance by handling food residues and strengthening law enforcement.
However, in recent days, the previous policy was suddenly changed, and it was announced that wild boars that appeared in the urban area would be captured and humanely destroyed.
In an exclusive interview, Huang Jinxing was asked whether the policy turning point was related to the injury of a police officer last week.
Huang Jinxing thought for a while and replied that the number of wild boar injuries this year has increased tenfold compared to a few years ago.
Huang Jinxing: The effect of catching and contraceptive plan "does not reach the ideal"
Huang Jinxing explained that in the past three years, the injured include the elderly, middle-aged, and young. "No one is injured at the same age." Moreover, wild boars are at risk of carrying pathogens, including zoonotic diseases. "Too close to the urban area may spread diseases, affecting The safety of the general public.” He also emphasized that in the past, different methods have been tried on the wild boar problem, and the effectiveness of the capture and contraceptive plan was "not ideal." Therefore, the government has been thinking about strengthening the handling of related issues in the past six months.
SPCA: Wildlife management should first adopt a non-lethal approach
The SPCA responded by emphasizing that in any case, wildlife management should first adopt a non-lethal approach.
To effectively manage wild animals, a multi-pronged approach is necessary, including educating the public, prohibiting feeding of wild animals, properly managing garbage, reducing the number of breeding, etc., to minimize intervention in wild animals.
The Association also pointed out that wild animals are part of the natural ecology of Hong Kong, and humans should respect their living space.
The Environment Bureau and the Fisheries Conservation Department said in June that the number of wild boar nuisance cases is expected to gradually decrease in the next few years
Looking through the information, the Environment Bureau and the Fisheries and Conservation Department reported to the Legislative Council the status of the wild boar management plan in June this year. According to the document, some are habitually haunted in busy urban areas or public places, especially after being relocated to remote countryside. As wild boars in urban areas are accustomed to activities and foraging in crowds, these wild boars may pose a potential risk to the safety of citizens and road users.
The department also pointed out at that time that it was conducting an assessment to study whether there was a need to revise the guidelines to include wild boar in the category of humane treatment.
According to the department, the number of wild boars undergoing contraceptive vaccination and sterilization since 2017 is 191 and 158 respectively.
However, the document shows that about 60% of wild boar nuisance black spots have been solved or temporarily solved through different measures. Because some measures, such as contraceptive vaccines, "will gradually show their effectiveness in the medium and long-term stage," the department expects wild boar nuisance The number of cases will gradually decrease in the next few years.
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36 cases of wild boar wounding people in 10 years. Fishery and Conservation Department deleted information: Wrongly put a protected animal together with wild boar. Concerned about the group batch of bread trapping wild boars. Despicable Fishery and Conservation Department: Handling humanity, following similar methods in the future. Humane Boar Destruction Plan with blood on the footpath with a scar on the right hind leg | The Ai Association strictly opposes lethal methods of management. Fishers and conservationists refuse to accept opinions.
