Call for review over how Hong Kong manages wild boars and buffaloes

Animal rights groups have urged Hong Kong authorities to review their culling strategy for wild boars and to install animal bridges and other measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict in urban areas after incidents involving wild boars and a buffalo.They warned that as urban expansion, particularly the Northern Metropolis project, cleared large tracts of land and further eroded wildlife habitat, poor city planning would worsen the situation, endangering more animals.On Tuesday, authorities euthanised eight wild boars – two adults and six juveniles – after they wandered into a residential area near Chuk Yuen North Estate in Wong Tai Sin. The next day, a buffalo was struck by a vehicle on a highway in Yuen Long, disrupting traffic for hours, and was later euthanised.The death of the boars reignited debate over the government’s culling policy adopted in 2021 to replace the previous “capture, contraception and relocation” strategy.The accident involving the buffalo also highlighted the absence of road infrastructure to prevent wildlife from safely crossing busy roads in rural areas.The Hong Kong Wild Boar Concern Group condemned the culling of the eight pigs as “brutal”.