Hong Kong News

Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Thursday, Oct 10, 2024

Wild animal-hurting rat traps to be curtailed

Glue traps for rats will only be placed at spots with serious rodent infestations such as wet markets and refuse collection points, the Environment and Ecology Bureau said, as Kadoorie Farm has called on the government to stop using glue boards after it found that at least 25 wild animals have been hurt by the traps.
The farm said there has been "an alarming increase" in glue-trapped animals sent to its wildlife rescue center.

The farm listed the species of 25 birds it has found trapped, including oriental magpies, spotted doves, Chinese bulbuls, Daurian redstarts, Eurasian tree sparrows, Chinese pond herons, dusky warblers and blue whistling thrushes - all of which are protected under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance.

"Glue traps are inhumane and cause painful injuries and drawn-out deaths in rodents - the target - and in any wildlife that may also stumble across them," the farm said.

The farm hoped people will stop using glue boards as it called on the government to ban the use of such traps, citing that countries like Ireland and New Zealand have already prohibited its use.

"More ethical methods of rodent control include deploying sealed storage traps and removing food sources, alongside maintaining a tidy and hygienic environment to limit hiding spots for the rodents," the farm said.

In a reply to The Standard, the Environment and Ecology Bureau said glue boards are only being placed at venues with serious rodent infestations like public markets and refuse collection points.

"Rodents [reproduce rapidly]," the bureau said. "In order to protect citizens' health, the use of glue traps in places with a serious infestation is an important anti-rodent measure."

Authorities also said that glue boards are more effective compared to other anti-rodent traps.

In the first half of last year, less than five rodents were captured in Tai Shing Street Market in Wong Tai Sin using traditional cage traps, while intensive anti-rodent operations since August have caught an average of a dozen rats each month and around 30 rats were trapped monthly by using electromechanical devices.

This paled in comparison to an average of 469 rats captured each month by using glue boards.

The bureau said the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department have guidelines on handling trapped rats in a humane way, including using glue boards only during night operations and having staff monitor the spot where the trap was placed.

Upon observation at public markets, The Federation of Hong Kong Kowloon New Territories Hawker Associations has voiced support for the use of glue traps due to its effectiveness.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Hong Kong News
0:00
0:00
Close
It's always the people with the dirty hands pointing their fingers
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
'I am not your servant': IndiGo crew member, passenger get into row over airline meal
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
BMW driver…
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
×