Hikers “saving” baby owls from naturally predated by a snake was publicly praised by pet welfare groups and “animal lovers” because the baby owl looks innocent and the snake looks evil?
I believe most hikers have a good heart. Many are good pet owners. But they may want to learn a bit more about how wildlife works. Here’s my 2¢.
COVID-19 has brought tons of city people to hiking trails all of a sudden. Good for them. But for the environment, the negative impact is escalating.
Hong Kong is small but surprisingly rich in biodiversity. This small concrete jungle has the world’s largest owl, the most trafficked mammal, the second-largest lizard, and all that.
Native species of Hong Kong I mentioned in this video: 今天我們探討的是香港本土的物種: Flatid planthopper, White moth bug, Lawana imitata 白蛾蠟蟬 Giant golden orb-weaving spider, Nephila pilipes 斑絡新婦, 人面蜘蛛 Changeable Lizard, Calotes versicolor 變色樹蜥 Bamboo pit viper, White-lipped pit viper, Trimeresurus albolabris 青竹蛇, 竹葉青 Chinese three-striped box turtle, Golden coin turtle, Cuora trifasciata 三線閉殼龜, 金錢龜 Green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas 綠海龜 Hong Kong Newt, Paramesotriton hongkongensis 香港瘰螈 Spotted narrow-mouthed frog, Kalophrynus pleurostigma 花细狹口蛙 Red-billed blue magpie, Urocissa erythroryncha 紅嘴藍鵲 Eurasian eagle-owl, Bubo bubo 雕鴞 Malayan porcupine, Hystrix brachyura 馬來箭豬 Chinese pangolin, Manis pentadactyla 穿山甲 Dusky frillgoby, Bathygobius fuscus 深鰕虎魚 Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica 日本鰻 Hong Kong camellia, Camellia hongkongensis 香港茶 Bauhinia x blakeana, Hong Kong orchid tree 洋紫荊