Dog suffers horrific death after 18cm slash to neck.
Hong Kong police are hunting for a suspect over a horrific case of animal cruelty in which a Labrador bled to death after its neck was slashed.
Animal cruelty continues to poison Hong Kong. When will people start treating animals as living creatures capable of feeling pain and suffering, rather than inanimate objects? It is time the Hong Kong Government, the Hong Kong Police and Courts started to treat animal cruelty more seriously in order to deter others from doing the same.
Courtesy of Amelia Wang.
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The Mystery of the Bowen Road Dog Poisoner.
For almost 50 years, an unknown person or persons have deliberately and indiscriminately poisoned and killed animals, including many dogs. The perpetrators are unknown but the emotional toll has been recorded in the heart-breaking interviews with those who loved the canine victims
Read more about one of Hong Kong’s most famous murder mysteries, the laws relating to poisons and injurious substances and suggested amendments to the current law in order to better protect animals in Hong Kong.
Courtesy of Sala Sihombing and Karine Goyneau.
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The Increase in Online Wildlife Trafficking.
Illegal wildlife trade continues to worryingly gain traction on the internet. A large number of websites and various social media platforms have become avenues where wildlife goods are offered, often with suspect origins. Not only is the breadth of online platforms concerning, but so too the wide range of species and items openly advertised and readily available for purchase at the click of a button.
The methods needed to monitor, regulate and combat illegal wildlife trade online are vastly different from those employed to deal with “traditional” wildlife trafficking, and there are different challenges in terms of tools and capacity.
Learn more about how social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are, despite their pledge to remove illegal wildlife content, actually accelerating trafficking, as well as the emergence of groups dedicated to exposing illegal wildlife trade on social media.
Courtesy of Audrey O’Young.
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Happy Chinese New Year - Year of the Ox.
恭喜發財, 新年快樂
Happy Chinese New Year! May this Year of the Ox be filled with happiness, prosperity, good health and many precious moments with your loved ones.
The beginning of the Year of the Ox also serves as a timely reminder for us all that cruelty extends to all types of different animals. Sightings of cattle and buffalo on Hong Kong hiking trails are not uncommon, but there have been a worrying number of serious injuries inflicted upon these animals, some of the worst that have been seen in recent times.
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Six dogs killed from poisoning at Cyberport Park.
Animal welfare groups are urging dog owners in Hong Kong to properly leash their pets and be extra vigilant after a spate of dog poisoning incidents over the past weekend. At least six dogs have died within hours of ingesting poisonous bait at Cyberport Waterfront Park in Pok Fu Lam.
This horrific incident comes months after three dogs were found dead within 72 hours in July 2020 having visited the same park in Cyberport, as well as Victoria Road.
Courtesy of Kelly Ma.
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Arrest made over video of cat trapped in washing machine.
A woman was arrested on Monday night in Hong Kong after an online video of a cat being trapped in a washing machine went viral. The video shows the cat sitting inside a washing machine before its lid was closed and the appliance is turned on. The machine runs for about 10 seconds, during which time the animal can be seen barely moving around inside.
This incident unfortunately demonstrates the mindset a lot of Hong Kong people have towards animals. Animals are merely treated as “things” or “objects”, rather than something that is living, capable of feeling pain and suffering and deserving of our protection. A change in mindset is desperately needed if we as a society can truly be said to be protective of animals.
Courtesy of Kelly Ma.
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Two wild boars found caught in traps in a single day.
Recently, there have been reports of two wild boars having been caught in animal traps in Hong Kong, with both incidents happening on the same day. One of the wild boars caught was unfortunately beaten to death, with witnesses telling Police that she encountered two men beating the squealing pig with an unidentified hard object.
These incidents come after an incident in late 2020 where a wild boar was found decapitated, its belly cut open and dumped in a hillside stream.
Luckily in Hong Kong, we have organisations such as the Hong Kong Wild Boar Concern Group which continue to advocate for better protection for these wild animals as well as educating the public, hoping to break the stereotyped impression that people have of wild boars.
Courtesy of Felix Tsang
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Amendment to UK’s Environmental Bill to preserve hedgehogs.
Former Transport Secretary of the United Kingdom, Chris Grayling has tabled an amendment to the Environmental Bill to give hedgehogs the status of ‘protected animals’ to preserve their declining numbers in the United Kingdom.
The amendment seeks to add hedgehogs to the list of protected animals under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, giving it the same level of protection as bats, badgers and otters.
Courtesy of Nicole Liang.
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Case Summary: HKSAR v Shao Rong Qiang (CACC79 of 2020)
HKSAR v Shao Rong Qiang (unrep. CACC 79/2020, 18 December 2020).
The Hong Kong Court of Appeal recently heard an appeal against sentence for the importation of Appendix II species contrary to sections 11(1) and (3) of the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, Cap 586. The appellant had imported 224 Saiga antelope horns weighing 49.9kg and had an estimated market price between HK$719,000 to HK$1,188,000
The appellant was sentenced by the District Court Judge to 20 months’ imprisonment, having adopted a starting point of 30 months’ imprisonment. He appealed against the sentence on the grounds that the sentence imposed was manifestly excessive.
Find out more about how the Court of Appeal dealt with the appellant’s sentence appeal; the stance the Court took in respect of endangered species and sentencing factors to be considered when sentencing offenders under Cap 586. Moreover, learn more about the Saiga Antelope and read our commentary on Cap 586 and what should be done in order to deter wildlife traffickers from using Hong Kong as a haven for trading illegal wildlife.
Courtesy of Kelly Ma.
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Australian consumers encouraged to “give flake a break.”
The Australian Marine Conservation Society is urging consumers to stop the consumption of flake – a common term used for shark meat. Loopholes in Australia’s national environmental laws unfortunately allows for the ongoing commercial harvest of endangered sharks.
Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 marine species that are listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered are classified as “no take” species - representing species that cannot be sold or exported. However, there are eight marine species that are listed as “conservation dependent” meaning that they can still be commercially harvested.
Courtesy of Arial Ng.
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84 year old man sentenced for cruelty to pigeons.
An 84-year-old elderly man pleaded guilty to two counts of cruelty to animals and was fined $1000 and given a two-week suspended sentence after cruelly attacking pigeons with a long twig and metal pole.
The question remains, will this sentence deter others from committing other callous acts towards animals in Hong Kong?
Courtesy of Amelia Wang.
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Hong Kong makes first major maritime smuggling bust for 2021.
Hong Kong Customs and Excise have made their first major maritime smuggling bust for 2021, with more than HK$4 million worth of illicit wildlife products being seized. According to authorities, the contraband was destined for Shekou, Guangdong, and included dried shark fins and seahorses, likely to be derived from endangered species.
Courtesy of Marco Poon
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Proposed ban on keeping pet primates in UK.
The UK Government has recently announced that people in England could be banned from keeping monkeys and other primates as pets. Up to 5,000 primates are currently living outside licensed zoos in the UK, with animal welfare minister Lord Goldsmith saying many of them are in “misery” due to a lack of space and stimulation.
Under the plans, those who keep them without a zoo licence would need to obtain a new specialist private primate keeper licence to ensure they are meeting zoo-level welfare standards.
Courtesy of Amelia Wang.
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Discovery of female brings hope for endangered turtle species.
A female Yangtze giant softshell turtle has been discovered in a large Vietnamese lake, one and a half year after the last female (considered to be ‘last’ until recently) had passed away in Suzhou Chinese Zoo. The recent discovery has brought renewed hope and opportunity for the species to continue.
Courtesy of Kelly Ma.
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Traces of a potential fifth species of Asian pangolin found.
To combat wildlife-related crimes on an international scale, DNA forensics techniques have been used to identify which species have been the victim of illegal trafficking activities. Using DNA extracts from two batches of pangolin scales seized by the Hong Kong Customs, a group of scientists from the Kadoorie Farm conducted a phylogenetic analysis in 2015 to identify the species and geographic origins of the seized pangolin scales.
Some five years later in October 2020, a group of scientists from Germany and China took up the study and concluded that there might in fact be a fifth Asian pangolin species.
Courtesy of Louis Cheung
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European Bison recovering but 31 species declared extinct by the IUCN Red List.
According to latest update of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List of Threatened Species on 10 December 2020, the European bison (Bison bonasus) alongside 25 other species are making a recovery; whilst 31 species have been declared extinct, making a total of 902 species declared as extinct in 2020.
Courtesy of Nicole Liang.
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Pangolin smugglers jailed for trafficking 23 tonnes of scales.
On 5 January 2021, a Court in east Zhejiang Province sentenced 17 people to imprisonment for smuggling more than 23 tonnes of pangolin scales into the country.
The scales, worth about US$27.9 million (HK$216 million), were smuggled by the gang from Nigeria in three batches in 2018 and 2019, and would account for the death of around 50,000 pangolins.
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Life imprisonment for ivory smuggling ringleaders.
A Court in Guangzhou handed long prison terms to 17 people - including life imprisonment for the two ringleaders - for running China’s biggest ivory smuggling ring, involving over 20 tonnes of ivory worth more than 1 billion yuan (HK$1.19 billion) from West Africa into Mainland China.
Despite Hong Kong’s legislation and regulation of the illegal ivory trade, enforcement and relevant sentencing tariffs for the illegal sale of protected wildlife products remain lenient. As long as ivory is perceived to be a symbol to convey wealth and status, demand will continue and criminals will eventually outsmart preventative strategies. It is therefore important that preventative strategies work in parallel with educational campaigns to convey the message the ivory should not be perceived as a status symbol.
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Teddy’s Law: Banning the Practice of declawing cats.
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society have supported a bill introduced by Davenport MPP Marit Stiles that would put an end to the inhumane practice of declawing cats in Ontario, a procedure that can cause a lifetime of pain for cats. Teddy’s Law, as the bill is known, would update provincial animal welfare legislation to ban the practice of declawing cats, unless a veterinarian deems it a necessary medical procedure.
Courtesy of Arial Ng.
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Judicial Review filed against decision not to prosecute.
Animal cruelty will undoubtedly continue in Hong Kong unless and until we change the law, but more importantly, the mindset of people and their perception towards animals.
Courtesy of Amelia Wang
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