The long-extinct dodo, once endemic to the island of Mauritius, came alive at several local schools this week.
The flightless bird that vanished from the Earth in the 17th century is one of the highlights of Science Alive, an annual educational event organised by the British Council, Education Bureau and Hong Kong Science Museum to teach students scientific concepts in a fun and lively way.
In celebration of the bicentenary of Charles Darwin's birth, the event will feature plays, workshops, lectures and exhibitions exploring the work and legacy of the renowned British evolutionary biologist.
British theatre company Desperate Men staged Darwin and the Dodo, a 45-minute interactive show mixing songs, limericks and games on evolution and the life of the famed naturalist at local schools this week.
Jon Beedell, who played Darwin, said they wanted to counter the growing creationist forces in schools through their performance.
'The creationists have good publicity machines but evolutionary scientists don't have much backing,' he said. 'We hope to stimulate students' interest in their work and encourage them to be inquisitive and open-minded to enquiry. Dodo is an iconic symbol of extinction. We put the dodo in a wheelchair, which is a humorous way to draw people's attention to it.'
Ma Wai-chuen, a general studies teacher of Wong Tai Sin Government Primary School, said students sat riveted to the performance.