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LCQ5: Spotting of wild pigs
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    Following is a question by the Hon Wong Yung-kan and a reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, in the Legislative Council meeting today (December 20) :

Question:

     Many farmers have recently related to me that wild pigs are often spotted in the eastern and northern parts of the New Territories.  These farmers complained that their crops were damaged by wild pigs, and they also worried about being attacked by wild pigs.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the total number of reports received by the government departments concerned about wild pigs being spotted or crops being allegedly damaged by wild pigs, the property losses caused and the number of persons injured by wild pigs, as well as the number of wild pigs captured, in each of the past three years;

(b) whether it has taken measures to stop wild pigs from causing nuisance to the public; and

(c) whether it has conducted regular surveys on the number of wild pigs in Hong Kong and adopted measures to control their number?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) and (b) Wild pigs are not protected wild animals in Hong Kong.  Being an omnivorous species, their staple diet of roots, corms and fruits of plants is supplemented with earthworms, insects and small invertebrates.  They usually venture out at night and sometimes look for food in farm land or sports fields, causing damages to crops or lawn. As such, they are generally regarded as environmental and agricultural pest.  Large in size, an adult wild pig can weigh up to 250 kg and may pose threat to human safety and property.  There is no natural predator of wild pigs to control their population in the natural ecological environment of Hong Kong.

     In the past three years (up to November 2006), 42, 116 and 135 complaints against wild pigs spotted in Hong Kong were received in 2004, 2005 and 2006 (up to November) respectively.  The complainants were mainly worried about the threat of the wild pigs to their safety and damage to property.  Over the same period, there was one case of injury, fortunately a minor one, reported where the person concerned attempted to drive the wild pigs away.  We do not have statistics on losses of property caused by wild pigs.

     To protect public safety, the Police set up in the late 1970s wild pig hunting teams consisting of civilian volunteers.  Members of the hunting teams are issued with special permits by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Chapter 170) and arms licences by the Police respectively.  Upon receiving confirmed reports of wild pigs threatening human safety and property from the Police, the Home Affairs Department or the AFCD, the teams will set out hunting to reduce the threat posed.  In the past three years, the teams put down 6, 6 and 52 wild pigs in 2004, 2005 and 2006 (up to November) respectively.

(c) The AFCD does not conduct regular surveys on the number of wild pigs in Hong Kong.  However, a territory-wide ecological survey using infra-red automatic cameras launched in 2002 shows that wild pigs are widely spread, mainly in the New Territories.  They are commonly found in various habitats such as woodland, grassland and farm areas.  With the increasing trend in complaints against wild pigs received in recent years, the wild pig hunting teams have embarked on hunting trips more frequently to control the number of wild pigs and to protect public safety.

Ends/Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:40

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