Pigs, Pigs and More Pigs 野豬冇天敵

Pigs, Pigs and More Pigs 野豬冇天敵

This is a serious question. From what we learnt from newspapers and social media, it is obvious that the population of wild pigs is growing rapidly. Complaints over pigs received by my District Councillor Office are competing with minibus complaints. The growth is unchecked due to a lack of natural predators. Some suggest that reduction in wild dogs means the piglets are safer. Others point out that there are fewer squatters and that the army and civilian hunting teams are no longer active. Wild pigs also have high reproductive rates. Under favourable conditions, two litters can be weaned in a year.

My residents are losing patience as they are scared at night on their way home, and there are reports of road accidents between vehicles and pigs. Hong Kong is not alone. In many countries, wild pigs are considered a pest, rather than a sign of their quality of biodiversity.

Not everyone thinks so. Some go out and feed them, or take the kids to watch them. There are groups actively campaigning against culling them.

The AFCD has now started a pilot scheme “Capture, Contraceptive and Rehome/Release Programme” in the Southern District. After capture they will be injected with contraceptives and released in the country parks.

AFCD is also conducting a survey to size up the pig populations. We also need to know what the carrying capacity is of each area. Next, the community needs to deliberate how to manage Hong Kong’s wild pigs.

In the meantime, we need to push FEHD for urgent improvements to prevent wild pigs from accessing waste and food remains deposited at the thousands of bin sites and refuse collection points.

(Above was first published in AM730 on 8 December 2017.)

野豬冇天敵 

近年報紙及社交媒都不乏野豬出沒的報導，而我的地區辦事處收到有關野豬的投訴，更直迫有關小巴的投訴。野豬數量不斷上升，與缺乏天敵有關。有指野狗減少，會增加野豬存活的機會；而軍人、村民以及一些民間人士過往會組織捕獵野豬，然而這些捕獵行動在近年都消聲匿跡。野豬有自己的生長周期，在合適的環境下，可在約一年時間長大成人。

薄扶林居民日漸對野豬問題失去耐性：有人在晚上回家時因牠們提心吊膽，另外因野豬而起的交通意外亦屢見不鮮。事實上，這個問題不單出現於香港，在很多地區，野豬被視為一種生態禍害多於生物多樣性的體現。以上說法當然並非所有人均認同。很多團體及人士一直反對撲殺野豬，更會帶同子女一同餵飼。

漁護署現正於南區試行先導計劃，透過為捕捉到的野豬避孕，並放歸效野公園，以解決野豬數量繁生的問題。漁護署同時亦進行統計調查，以估算野豬的數量，並就每區可容納野豬的數量設上限。我們應就此多發表意見，以長遠地妥善管理野豬的問題。

另外我們亦要督促食環署制定即時措施，改善垃圾站及垃圾筒的設計，以防止野豬從垃圾中翻找食物。

（英文原文於2017年12月8日AM730刊登）