ajohn

I've been doing some work again around Kam Tin recently and it seems that AFCD have removed ALL the buffalo from the buffalo fields area. In the past couple of weeks I've seen one individual in these fields, on one day only (yesterday). There have been a few more in another area nearby.

It appears that AFCD has cleared the buffalo on the basis of complaints from local villagers - this has been carried out over a number of months/years by removing small numbers of individuals each time. Now there are none left here, and AFCD has even taken down the trap previously used to catch them.

The bird community at Kam Tin largely relies on grazing by buffalo to keep the buffalo fields open - this has created a unique ecosystem in HK, as shown by the fact that this is the only regular site for Grey-headed Lapwing and one of the most important sites for Greater Painted-snipe. Other birds in the area (wagtails, pipits, starlings, snipe etc) as well as snakes, amphibians etc also benefit from the open short-grass habitat.

It is clear this year that areas surrounding the buffalo fields have been more overgrown than in previous years. There is now a risk that the whole area will become overgrown and lose much of it's ecological value. Bad news for the lapwings!

深藍-Owen

told by the villagers that our GOV capture most of the buffalo and left around 20 there.  

still see some of them in my recent visit for mandarin duck. (around 10+)

23/01/2007

ajohn

There are still around 20-25 but they are in a different area - I think that is why they are left (either gov does not know about them or the villagers don't mind so much).

Good to see some cattle egrets on your photo - these could also be affected by the reduction in buffalo numbers!

深藍-Owen

john,

Refer from the map attached, u can see where I took this buffalo picture (Blue Arrow), I useto see many buffalo footprint before on Blue route but recently I find that there is some dumping and constrution activities in area Red X. Will this cause the buffalo can't get back to the buffalo field after they feed in Red X?

ajohn

I don't think the area of dumping at your red X would stop the buffalo going to the buffalo fields - the animals in this area are a different herd. The animals that used to be in the buffalo fields fed at night mostly close to the buffalo fields, often in the area to the west that was filled several years ago (there is now lots of dumping going on here - I wonder if this development is related to complaints asking for the government to remove the buffalo?) or in abandoned farmland around Shui Mei village.

The new drainage channel next to Sha Po (to the top left of your photo) does seem to have caused a barrier to buffalo - they used to feed around here often but the high sides of the DC prevent them crossing and they were reluctant to walk through the construction site. The marshes around Sha Po have become very overgrown over the last year or so since the DC was built.

深藍-Owen

Again, Today about 13 buffalo in Blue Arrow of my map above. And 1 in Buffalo Field.