Hong Kong ups fines for feeding wild animals to $12k, jail possible

Residents and tourists need to stay alert. Hong Kong has decided to raise the fines for feeding wild animals, including city pigeons. The fine will be about $12,000, and imprisonment is also possible.

The "Oriental Daily" newspaper reminds readers that in the past, many lawmakers argued that feeding feral pigeons is nothing more than "ordinary littering, and the penalties were obviously too low."

New regulations on fines for feeding wild animals in Hong Kong will take effect on August 1, 2024. People who violate the new rules will face a fine of 100,000 Hong Kong dollars, or about $12,000.

This is a tenfold increase from the current fine, which is 10,000 Hong Kong dollars, or about $1,200.

In addition to a significant increase in fines, the new law extends the ban to city pigeons. According to the Hong Kong Free Press portal, violators can also be imprisoned for up to 1 year for feeding wild animals.

The ban on feeding pigeons and the tightening of penalties for illegal feeding aim to improve wildlife protection and alleviate the inconveniences and hygiene issues associated with this practice, explained Tse Chin-wan, the secretary (minister) of the environment and ecology.

Lawmakers believe that the amendment will help reduce littering in the city with food scraps and dog waste.

- They are everywhere in parks, making them dirty and untidy. During a walk, I myself got completely covered in droppings, admitted Mr. Li, cited by i-Cable television.

Moreover, Hong Kong authorities point out that feeding birds can also attract other wild animals to the city, such as wild boars or monkeys. Thus, the problem deepens.

The "South China Morning Post" reports that more than 1,100 wild boars were recorded in urban areas in 2022 alone. A decade earlier, there were only 300 such cases.

During the same period, there were 81 cases of injuries caused by these animals, 75 of which occurred between 2018 and 2022.

Meanwhile, "Oriental Daily" points out that some citizens use clever tricks to bypass the feeding ban - for example, they pretend to drop food. As a result, part of the public fears that the amended regulations will become a "toothless tiger" if the authorities cannot enforce them effectively.