Editorial | Crocodile a reminder of Hong Kong’s cruel wildlife trade
- Experts believe the creature found in the city was smuggled in as a pet and later abandoned, underlining the need for stiffer penalties
Despite its relatively small size and heavy urban development, Hong Kong has an amazingly rich variety of wildlife. It has also come across some rare visitors, from endangered migratory birds in the Mai Po nature reserve to whales frolicking in Victoria Harbour or stranded on Sai Kung beaches.
But the unusual discovery of a crocodile near a settlement in the New Territories has aroused more than curiosity.
Given the reptile is not an indigenous species, the only logical conclusion, experts say, is that it has been smuggled in as a pet and later abandoned. The two-metre Siamese crocodile was first spotted by a domestic helper in the yard of a neighbouring house in Pat Heung on Sunday.
It was caught by conservation officials and police a few hours later and transferred to Ocean Park.
The origin of the animal remains unclear at this stage. The suggestion that there was an animal hospice facility nearby has fuelled further speculation.