Rare butterfly find in Tai Lam Country Park sparks call to move Hong Kong public housing estate
Environmentalists identify nine species classified as very rare and 14 classified as rare – more than they expected to find
The discovery of a large number of rare butterflies on protected green space slated for public housing has strengthened environmentalists’ calls for the Hong Kong government to halt the project.
Green Power, an environmental group, found 127 butterfly species in Tai Lam Country Park. That included nine species classed as very rare and 14 classed as rare – more than the group expected to find.
Both of those counts were the highest among all 11 Hong Kong butterfly hotspots surveyed.
But the Housing Society, an NGO that is the second largest provider of housing in the city, is expected to look into building public housing or homes for the elderly on about 20 hectares near the park’s fringe. For that to happen, the government would have to seek lawmakers’ approval in amending the Country Parks Ordinance to have homes built in the park.
