Hong Kong's wild boar are natural inhabitants of our hillsides, country parks and rural areas generally. They are one of the few visible forms of mammalian wildlife we have in the territory, and despite their physical size and growing numbers, they have co-existed with humans peacefully for the large part, and are a familiar sight for many a hiker and outdoor enthusiast.

Despite this, the Agricultural, Fisheries & Conservation Department (AFCD) of the HKSAR Government recently decided to suddenly reverse its non-lethal population management strategy and introduce the regular "humane dispatch" (a 'nice' way of saying culling, or killing) of our wild boar – even worse, by intentionally luring them out of their habitats with food in order to do so, which is trickery of the cruellest kind.

This sudden reversal was triggered by a recent attack during a bungled police operation to catch a rogue boar in an urban area. Why our police are even assigned such tasks (as they often are) in the first place is one thing, but if that is how it is to remain, then appropriate training must be provided to our police on how to properly handle wild animals (not only wild boar, it should be noted).

Hong Kong's wild boar, unlike some elsewhere, are typically non-aggressive, peaceful creatures that have the misfortune of making noises that sound scarier than they actually are. The few incidents involving attacks on people have been mostly due to a perceived threat (e.g., too close, suddenly startled), intentional provocation (e.g., trying to kick, throw objects at), or poor catching/handling techniques as mentioned above (e.g., chasing, cornering, ganging up on).

Killing our wild boar over a handful of incidents is cruel, unethical, and not the right answer. Wild boar populations in Hong Kong have admittedly grown and become a nuisance in some parts close to urban areas, largely due to kindhearted but misguided people feeding them on a regular basis. Feeding should be strongly discouraged, not only with heftier fines, but with education that feeding *could* lead to culling, which certainly those feeding them would not want.

In terms of the way forward with respect to population management, this petition urgently proposes reinstating the sterilisation and relocation strategy that was previously in place, with immediate effect. This petition also suggests tagging or clipping as a way to monitor populations and sterilisation, like we do with our feral cattle (tagged) and stray cats (clipped ears) in Hong Kong.

The AFCD has said that their sterilisation strategy failed to work, but clearly that is because they failed to take it seriously! None of our wild boar are tagged or otherwise obviously marked to indicate sterilisation, so it is no wonder the AFCD has lost track of its own progress (or lack thereof), and it is admittedly not feasible to continue capturing and recapturing wild animals of that size just to check.

In summary, we should not kill one of Hong Kong's few endemic wildlife species just because humans have encroached upon their land, made the mistake of feeding them, and on the rare occasion, intentionally provoked them into charging or attacking, thus making sensational headlines in the media. Instead, education, respect, and a more humane approach are urgently needed.

On a personal note, it is always a joy to come across wild boar on a walk or hike, and they will be sorely missed if their numbers are greatly reduced in those parts where I have grown accustomed to seeing and greeting (but not feeding) them. While I have been startled by wild boar a handful of times, they are usually more spooked than me and will run away and hide, not attack. So, please don't target our wild boar; help save them instead and kindly sign this petition.