Hong Kong drivers should learn to live with presence of feral cattle

I refer to the report ('New Lantau road turns hot spot for 'cattle killers'', November 23) and Jason Ali's letter ('Fence feral cattle', February 6). It is sad to read of euthanasia being demanded for animals that were here long before us.

Accidents with animals happen everywhere in the world. Germany has deer, Australia has kangaroos, Canada has moose and the mainland has wild horses. The statistics on these incidences and the lives lost are numerous and tragic. Thankfully here, I believe we have so far avoided human deaths from traffic accidents involving wildlife, although the wildlife (including feral domestic cattle here) has not been so lucky.

I truly believe that if Hong Kong drivers are aware and sensitive to the fact that there may be wildlife of any kind on the roads at any time and drive accordingly, a number of these accidents could be prevented. It would do motorists no harm to drive at the speed limit or preferably below it.

I have been a driver for 10 years in Sai Kung and on many occasions have come across cattle, wild boar, deer and porcupines on the road. And even though they have caused me to brake rapidly, adjust my speed and be alert and aware when driving at night, I would never consider them to be the ones at fault or that immediate slaughter should occur.

Sai Kung Buffalo Watch has been working towards getting the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department's current 'catch and kill' policy changed. There is no need to slaughter these animals.

What we need to realise is that as we continue to develop the land of Hong Kong at a furious pace, we need to factor wildlife into these plans. Relocation, sterilisation and monitoring of the herd-grazing patterns are all things we have been trying to instigate and continue to work towards.