HK animals that won't love you back...

when i think of hong kong, i don't think of animals.
surprisingly, 70% of hong kong is countryside. and 30% of that is protected nature preserve.

I was reading HK's version of the Chicago Reader -- and there was an article about HK wildlife...


Wild Boars (Sus scrofa)
These legendarily fierce animals can reach over seven feet in length and weigh up to 900 pounds. A boar weighing 500 pounds can store up to 200 pounds of food. In human terms that is like wolfing 160 Big Macs in a row. They’re supposed to be fearsomely intelligent too, but here they’re more notorious for getting stuck between roadside railings. One had to be rescued last week in Sheng Shui.
Monkeys (Cercopithecidae)
Hong Kong’s monkey population is surging due to a birth rate higher than that of the SAR’s women. Common in Kowloon Hills and around the Shing Mun Reservoir, most are believed to have been released by humans into the wild in the 1910s. Don’t feed them. It’s illegal, and only subordinate monkeys offer food, so all you’re doing is perpetuating the old stereotype that humans are lesser than monkeykind. Then it’s “Planet of the Apes” all over again!





Burmese Pythons (Python molurus bivittatus)
Good news: there’s only one species of python in Hong Kong. Bad news: it’s the Burmese python, one of the largest snakes in the world. They’re usually found in the New Territories and Lantau, and can grow up to 20 ft. in length. If you get bitten, seek medical attention (even though they’re not toxic). If you or a loved pet gets caught in its coils, pray for mercy.

Red-Bellied Piranhas(Pygocentrus nattereri)

This 25-inch fish has a voracious appetite and is extremely sensitive to the smell of blood. A school of piranhas can eat a cow in minutes flat. Originally only found in the Amazon river, they were accidentally introduced to Chinese rivers after having been sold as pets and then released into the wild. An urgent nationwide edict was issued to kill them on sight, but they’ve been turning up at pet markets in HK.


Blue Ring Octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata)
These reclusive, golf ball-sized animals usually have a tentacle span of less than 8 inches. Their blue venom rings appear when they are alarmed or provoked, and an adult octopus contains enough poison to kill 26 humans within minutes. While they prefer the waters off Australia and the Pacific Islands, over 100 are estimated to be breeding here. People buy them as pets, but lose interest and release them into the sea.