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SCMP Reporter

Q Is it worth the cost of scrapping the Central reclamation?

Instead of filling in the harbour to build more roads in congested Hong Kong, may I suggest that most car owners do not really need to drive?

I  often feel  these vehicles are nothing more than an opportunity to show off. Hong Kong has a better-than-average public transport system,  so there is really no excuse for having to drive.

If you live in Mei Foo and work in Central, for example, the MTR will get you there in 30 minutes  or so.  In fact, why should anyone need to drive and add to the  pollution and congestion problems? And why is the government encouraging these problems by filling in the harbour?

Rennie Marques, Mei Foo Sun Chuen

Q What is the best way to combat teenage pregnancies?

Education is of the utmost importance  to remedy this  situation. Children do not have  the correct attitude towards sex. They are tempted out of curiosity and then regret it.

And in most cases, it is girls  who suffer the consequences.   Families, schools, and public campaigns are all needed in the fight against teen pregnancy.

Boys should receive more education on sex and its consequences  whereas girls should be taught  to reject a  boy's request.  Only then can we hope  that teen pregnancy will no longer be in the spotlight. Mo Wai-kit, Tuen Mun

Q Should buffalo be left to roam freely on Lantau?

Let them roam freely.

I walk across the field where the buffalo roam nearly every day and watch them graze from my window at home.

They are one of Hong Kong's wonders of nature. The fact  they have survived this long is amazing. We need to protect them if they are to be around for future generations. Watching them swim in the sea at Pui O beach is  proof of  their intelligence.

They are peaceful vegetarians and have never harmed  anyone  in my  15 years  as a Lantau resident.

I strongly oppose any killing of these animals. Please, Hong Kong, have a heart. Leave them in peace and return the seven captured animals to their home.

David Roden, Ham Tin San Tsuen, Lantau

Buffalo were greatly valued by  villagers to help with farming. But now Lantau is being  developed, and such  endeavours are  by no means essential.

Instead, property development and tourism has worked well for the urbanisation of Lantau.

What residents fear is that buffalo like roaming and their presence on the roads  could  cause an accident.

Furthermore, their faeces foul the air and may make the area less attractive to tourists.

It would be inhumane to execute  the buffalo  because we have to treasure all our  natural resources.  Why not build  a farm for them?  In that way, all parties, both commercially and environmental, can come to a consensus.

Emily Lam, Tsing Yi

For some years I owned a holiday flat at Pui O and my three children grew up with the buffalo as part of the idyllic rural backdrop of what was then a relatively unspoiled environment. We could not imagine Lantau without the buffalo and cattle. They  remind us of the peaceful life which once prevailed in the rural parts of Hong Kong.

When my children (now grown with children of their own) return on visits, it is the buffalo  they wish to see.

Pui O is still a rural settlement, and the buffalo and cattle form an integral part of the visual attractiveness of the area. Yes, they create manure but this natural material is naturally recycled.

I have not seen nor heard of any danger to people posed by these animals, which are a feature of some upland trails.

I now live permanently on Lantau and own a car. Drivers who observe the speed limit and normal driving precautions would have no trouble avoiding the few beasts which may venture on to the road.

Unfortunately many Hong Kong people are completely urbanised and uncomfortable with animals. Another problem arising particularly at Pui O is the increasing (and illegal) filling of the wetland fields on which the buffalo graze.

Buffalo are undoubtedly seen as a hindrance to the complete destruction of the wetlands and their conversion into land of a more profitable use.

Clive Noffke, Cheung Sha, Lantau

Which type of tourist do you want to come back to Lantau island? The ones who freak out when confronted with nature, who leave rubbish  behind through lack of respect and environmental consciousness - or the ones who cherishes nature for what it has created, who respectfully take pictures of a water buffalo from a distance so as not to disturb that which they admire?

Hasn't the environment in Hong Kong been neglected for too long already?

Name and address supplied

Lantau's  buffalo and cows have a vital role in preserving the ecosystem and biodiversity. Their grazing keeps the wetlands wet, which provides a habitat for amphibians, water birds and so on. Without the cattle, it  would revert to scrubland.

Frightening? Unless they are attacked or threatened, they are docile and gentle. Polluting? They provide free fertiliser for Lantau's farmers and gardeners.  Road-safety hazard? By forcing drivers to be more cautious they enhance road safety (the mad drivers should be culled, not the cows and buffalo).

These animals are an  asset to Lantau, and should be left  to roam freely.

Robert Bunker, Mui Wo, Lantau



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