Wild, Threatened, Farmed: Hong Kong's Invisible Pets.
An extraordinary four million exotic animals, from all corners of the world were imported into Hong Kong between 2015 and 2019, compounding risk of species extinction, a new report has found.
The ADM Capital Foundation report, “Wild, Threatened, Farmed: Hong Kong’s Invisible Pets” says the exotic pet trade in the city is contributing to extreme pressure on hundreds of species worldwide.
The report comes as global conservationists sound the alarm over a biodiversity crisis, driven by land-use and climate change, pollution and overexploitation.
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Australian duck shooters accused of inhumane activity during opening weekend.
Allegations shooters have exceeded bag limits and inhumanely dispatched birds during the first week of the Victorian duck season have been reported to authorities.
Coalition Against Duck Shooting member Craig Davey told ABC Central Victoria that animal rescuers found a pit of 23 dead whole birds buried at Lake Bael Bael, north-west of Kerang.
Under Victorian law, shot birds must be harvested and taken away.
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Two arrested in HK’s largest case of illegal possession of turtles.
Two men have been arrested for keeping 31 turtles belonging to various rare species, including some believed to have been caught from local streams, marking the largest case of illegal possession of the endangered animals in Hong Kong.
Twenty-one live turtles – involving five species – and 10 dead specimens were found in a residential unit in Kowloon on Tuesday, under a joint operation conducted by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and police. Two men were arrested at the scene. It is the largest number of turtles found in local illegal possession cases.
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Is Happy the Elephant legally a person?
Happy, by species, is an Asian elephant. But can she also be considered a person?
That question was before New York’s highest court on Wednesday in a closely watched case over whether a basic human right can be extended to an animal.
The advocates at the Nonhuman Rights Project say yes: Happy is an autonomous, cognitively complex elephant worthy of the right reserved in law for “a person”.
The Bronx Zoo, where Happy resides, says no: through an attorney, the zoo argues Happy is neither illegally imprisoned nor a person, but a well-cared-for elephant “respected as the magnificent creature she is.”
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Jack Russel awarded medal for bravery after sniffing out mines in Ukraine.
A tiny Jack Russell terrier has won hearts and admirers for helping neutralise hundreds of Russian explosives in Ukraine. Now he's won state honours, too.
Patron the bomb-sniffing dog — and his owner, Mykhailo Iliev of the Civil Protection Service— received a medal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a news conference in recognition of their service to the country.
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Hong Kong Legislative Council Committee discuss amendment to Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance.
A committee of the Hong Kong Legislative Council has been discussing an amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance (Cap. 169).
However, some legislators questioned the proposed introduction of a positive "duty of care” to animals and the lack of a clear definition to this duty of care.
The proposed amendment would increase the maximum penalty for relevant offences from a fine of HK$200,000 and 3 years’ imprisonment to a fine of HK$1,000,000 and 7 years’ imprisonment.
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Pronged collars to be banned in Queensland.
Pronged collars designed to punish dogs are set to be banned in Queensland as part of a wider crackdown on animal cruelty. The collars are made of metal and designed to tighten around a dog’s neck when pressure is applied.
The announcement was made by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Sunday who said the devices were not in line with most Queenslanders’ view of appropriate animal discipline.
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Survey finds flying insect numbers have decreased by 60% since 2004.
The number of flying insects in Great Britain has plunged by almost 60% since 2004, according to a survey that counted splats on car registration plates. The scientists behind the survey said the drop was “terrifying”, as life on Earth depends on insects.
The results from many thousands of journeys by members of the public in the summer of 2021 were compared with results from 2004. The fall was highest in England, at 65%, with Wales recording 55% fewer insects and Scotland 28%.
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Rare sunfish spotted in Hong Kong's shallow waters.
On 25 April 2022, Hong Kong locals saw a large 2.5 metre fish swimming with its dorsal fin exposed in the Tuen Mun River.
Discussions among locals led to speculation that they had seen a shark. However upon further analysis, it turned out to be a large sunfish or “mola mola”, a fish rarely seen in shallow waters.
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Australia adds 127 reptiles to global treaty in crackdown on smuggling
Nearly 130 native Australian reptiles targeted by international wildlife smugglers will be added to a global convention in a step the Australian government and conservationists hope will stifle the “cruel and abhorrent” trade.
The spiny-tailed gecko, shingleback lizard and several blue-tongue lizard species are among the reptiles that the environment minister Sussan Ley has listed for inclusion under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.
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HK couple arrested over chained dog found dead at village house.
Hong Kong police have arrested a couple on suspicion of animal cruelty after their dog was found dead and chained up at a village house in the New Territories.
A 64-year-old man and his 54-year-old wife were picked up at the scene and later detained on suspicion of animal cruelty.
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Black-faced spoonbills could be removed from endangered animals list
One of Hong Kong’s most iconic migratory birds, the black-face spoonbill, could be removed from a list of endangered animals in two years, following decades-long conservation efforts.
The species of migratory waterbird, currently classified as endangered, plays an important role in Hong Kong’s conservation efforts, serving as an indicator of the healthiness of local wetlands.
The waterbird is also a mascot of the World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong, which restores and manages the internationally significant Mai Po nature reserve.
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Constitutional Court of Ecuador Recognises Animal Rights in Landmark Ruling
Ecuador's high court has ruled that wild animals possess the legal right to exist, develop their innate instincts, and be free from disproportionate cruelty, fear, and distress.
The landmark decision occurred in February after Ecuador's top court interpreted the country's "rights of nature" constitutional laws in a case involving a woolly monkey name Estrellita. "Rights of nature" are laws that establish an ecosystem's legal right to exist and regenerate.
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FAQ’S - Amendment to Cap 599 & 599A
FAQ’S: AMENDMENT TO CAP 599 & 599A
The new amendments to Cap 559 and 599A have come as a shock to pet owners in Hong Kong who have been subjected to continuous persecution from the Hong Kong Government. This has not only caused pet owners to fear for the safety of their animals should they contract Covid-19, but also a sense of confusion as to what the new amendments actually mean.
In order to bring a sense of clarity to owners of animals here in Hong Kong, we have answered some of the frequently asked questions we have received in relation to these amendments. If you have any other questions you wish to ask, feel free to contact us.
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New amendments to Hong Kong law makes refusal to surrender pet a criminal offence.
The Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance and Regulation (Cap 599 and 599A respectively), have been very recently amended to now make the refusal, obstruction or failure to surrender a pet that a health officer reasonably believes has been infected with a specific disease, a criminal offence which is punishable on conviction by a fine and a term of imprisonment.
The recent amendments which came into effect on 31 March 2022 provides clear regulations requiring the owner of an article (including an animal) to surrender the article upon a health officer’s direction. The maximum penalty for non-compliance is HK$10,000 and imprisonment of 6 months upon conviction (see section 3 and section 7 of Cap. 599).
Courtesy of Michelle Cheung
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Corgi beaten to death by Chinese healthcare worker in Shanghai
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT IN ARTICLE.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
On 6 April 2022, photos and a video of a corgi being beaten to death by a Shanghai healthcare worker began to circulate Chinese social media after the WeChat account ‘corgi sh’ posted about the accident.
The post included screenshots of comments provided by the person who allegedly recorded the incident with their phone. It was confirmed that the incident happened in Pudong District in Shanghai. The dog’s owner had allegedly been taken away for quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19, after which the pet dog was killed by an anti epidemic worker with a stick in the middle of the street at Caoluzhen.
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Social Media and the Illicit Trade of African Grey Parrots
Social media and the internet have become a tool for those in the wildlife trading industry to facilitate the buying and selling of exotic animals, including parrots. BBC recently talked to Faiz Ahmed, who is in the business of importing and selling birds in Bangladesh, and Ahmed opened up about the ins and outs of the business, in particular the trade of the African grey.
Courtesy of Michelle Cheung
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Californian man charged with smuggling 1,700 reptiles from Mexico and Hong Kong
A 30 year old Southern Californian man was accused of smuggling 1,700 reptiles from Mexico and Hong Kong, without permits. The animals included baby crocodiles, Mexican beaded lizards, Yucatan and Mexican box turtles.
Jose Manuel Perez faces two counts of wildlife trafficking, nine counts of smuggling goods into the U.S., and one count of conspiracy after allegedly transporting the animals for a black-market business. Perez and others allegedly used social media to buy, sell and arrange delivery of reptiles in the U.S. between 2016 and 2022, advertising with photos and videos of the animals.
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South Korea to put stop to bear bile farming by 2025.
Bear bile farming will be fully banned in South Korea from 2026.The Ministry of Environment announced that it would put a stop to breeding bears for bile farming by 2025.
A 4 year phase out plan has been announced, which includes management plan for captive bears who will reside in sanctuaries from 2026 to live out their lives. There is also talk of legislation being proposed to protect the bears “Special Act on Prohibition of Keeping Bears in Captivity and Protection of Bears.”
South Korea is one of few countries that allow bear bile farming. As of 2021, there are 24 bear bile farms across the country with a total of some 360 bears.
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NSW passes bill to ban ‘convenient’ killing of shelter animals
On February 17, 2022, the New South Wales Legislative Assembly passed a bill to ban the “convenient” killing of shelter animals across the state, marking an important first step towards the protection of impounded animals in NSW.
The Companion Animals Amendment (Rehoming Animals) Bill 2021 was introduced by Animal Justice Party member Emma Hurst, in response to the tragic shooting of 15 dogs (including 10 puppies) by Bourke Shire Council in August 2021. The dogs were killed despite rescue groups from a nearby local government area offering to rehome them, due to the council’s interpretation of the COVID-19 travel restrictions at the time. The news sparked public outcry across the nation and prompted investigations by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the NSW Ombudsman and the Office of Local Government. However, the council was eventually cleared of any legal wrongdoing, as there were no laws in place at the time to hold the council accountable.
Courtesy of Ruby Tam
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