Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens’ isolated location, nestled within the city’s famous skyline, may be one reason it has escaped in-depth scrutiny and review for so long. But no longer. This is a call to action in aid of the animals who continue to suffer within its confines.

WEDNESDAY, 19th July - A grainy black and white photo of former Hong Kong governor Sir Robert Black and his cabinet officials touring the grounds of the Zoological and Botanical Gardens (HKZBG) in 1958 adorns the wall of a ‘time tunnel’ linking mammal enclosures with the rest of the gardens. Strikingly, it seems not much has changed in the sixty-odd years that have passed since. Everything from the austere black wire cages, sparse trees and informational placards surrounding the animals is identical to the present day.

The main aviary is a formidable centrepiece, emitting a chorus of exotic bird calls and flashes of spectacular colour. But it is the mammal and reptile enclosures that spark immediate concern. The first caged structure I approach houses a pair of Bornean orangutan twins. Whether suffering the effects of the heat on this summer afternoon, attempting to hide from incessant camera clicks and taunting from visitors below, or out of pure boredom, the orangutan closer to me has covered its face with a large palm frond in passive protest.

Even if it did decide to engage in some activity, options are slim. Apart from a short tunnel to another even smaller and equally uninspiring cage, there are no sources of enrichment; a vital aspect of captive animal welfare. This theme continues throughout the exhibits that follow. I pass black and white ruffed and ring-tailed lemurs - native to Madagascar, along with several distant relatives: siamangs from Indonesia, South American squirrel monkeys, cotton top tamarins, golden lion tamarins, and buff-cheeked gibbons. Two of the gibbons sit comforting each other on a branch, ogled by tourists. The cages are tired and barren, with no indoor areas to provide respite from weather conditions or a moment of privacy.

The gardens’ official website makes several bold claims. Their mission statement reads as follows: “(a) To foster an understanding of and appreciation for all living things through education, conservation and exhibition; and (b) To develop appreciation for the interdependence of nature” (HKZBG Gov Website). A short blurb on the ‘Animals’ homepage pinpoints an expansion project in the mid-1970s as the catalyst for this positive outlook; supposedly recalibrating the function of the gardens’ zoological exhibits from “entertainment purposes” to species preservation and breeding instead (HKZBG Gov Website).

However, a dialogue exchange between Dr. Hon Lam Tai-fai and former Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr. Tsang Tak-sing posted to the Hong Kong Legislative Council website in 2010 is revealing. It signals a disconnect between the noble aim described above, and the true, tourist-centric motives keeping the gates open at HKZBG. Asked whether the government planned to acquire more endangered and non-native species from overseas zoos “so as to increase [the] attractiveness [of HKZBG] to tourists,” Tsang listed a number of objectives in response (LCQ13 LegCo). He noted that while very large mammals likely would not be introduced following the death of jaguar Siu Fa in 2008, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department would source more animals as space and resources allowed. Tsang elaborated that “the beautification of animal and bird cages,” and “increases in guided visit programmes” were a high priority “to enhance the attractiveness of the gardens to the visitors,” but made no mention of adjacent planned projects to improve animals’ quality of life at the facility (LCQ13 LegCo).

It is hardly productive to criticise without offering a viable alternative blueprint. Owing to the wholly inadequate living conditions it provides, the ultimate expectation is that Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens will no longer keep animals. In the short term, however, this may not be possible. After so long in captivity, stripped of the skills necessary to survive independently, many of the zoological gardens’ current residents are not suitable candidates for release.

It is proposed that the gardens stay true to their purported aim of education and conservation by enriching existing enclosures and refraining from introducing any more non-native species in the future. It is a misdirection of efforts for Hong Kong to focus on increasing the numbers of endangered animals from other countries while its own fauna populations suffer. As a result of reclamation and development operations on the outskirts of Hong Kong, an increasing proportion of native species have been granted endangered status, including pink dolphins, Chinese white dolphins, Chinese pangolins, finless porpoises, and Burmese pythons. 

As per the official website of Washington DC’s respected Smithsonian's Zoo, environmental enrichment comes in a variety of forms. Changes to habitat, cognitive challenges, sensory stimulus, novel feeding methods, and provision of interesting toys are all methods to “enhance welfare of animals in captivity by improving animals’ mental well-being and/or physical fitness” (Smithsonian’s Zoo). Constant stimulation is particularly important for primates, especially those as intelligent as the Bornean orangutan.

HKZBG’s current ‘Education and Exhibition Centre,’ moreover, is nothing of the sort. Originally commissioned in 2008 as a training, seminar and exhibition venue, I was met by a bored looking security guard monitoring a large empty room. With the diversity of patrons I noticed walking around, the centre has the potential to be an effective tool for disseminating information about, and showcasing, Hong Kong’s native wildlife.

It will take a concerted effort to draw Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens out of its dark Victorian-era roots into the modern age. But the outcome will be well worth it. The welfare of the gardens’ residents, and the prospective attitude of Hong Kong society towards animal captivity and conservation depends on it.

Courtesy of: Saskia Sinha

Sources: HKZBG Gov Website; LCQ13 LegCo; Smithsonian’s Zoo.