香港觀鳥會亞洲自然保育基金2019/20年度其中一個資助項目為「老撾非法野生動物貿易 - 野鳥拯救及復育計劃」，項目剛於2020年12月完成。老撾位於東亞—澳大利西亞遷飛區內，但當地的野鳥盜獵及非法貿易情況嚴重，令當地及遷徙雀鳥均面臨嚴重威脅。Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife (LCTW) 一向致力拯救和照顧這些野鳥，協助牠們重返大自然。基金期望透過建造鳥類復育設施，協助被拯救的鳥類重新適應野外生活。

復育團隊歷時五個月，興建了一個12x13x5米的多功能軟網籠。網籠足以容納體型較大的鳥類，並確保牠們在籠內活動時，避免不必要的損傷。網籠外圍採用密織網的設計，從而減低外界對野鳥的人為干擾。被拯救的野鳥會在網籠內隔離至少40天，再經獸醫確認健康狀態良好後，便可進行野放。

打撃野生動物罪行從不容易，本會很榮幸能贊助當地的鳥類拯救及復育計劃，讓更多野鳥得到專業的救援及照顧。若各位希望支持及了解更多「香港觀鳥會亞洲自然保育基金」的工作，歡迎瀏覽 https://www.hkbws.org.hk/cms/acf。

*香港觀鳥會自2019年把「中國自然保育基金」擴展為「亞洲自然保育基金」，希望支持和促進更多亞洲區的鳥類保育工作。

One of the successful applicants in the 2019/20 round completed the project “Rescue and Rehabilitation of Birds from the Illegal Wildlife Trade in Laos PDR” in December 2020. Laos PDR is situated in East Asian-Australasian Flyway but unfortunately, it is also a hotspot for poaching and illegal wildlife trade. Local and migratory birds have been facing enormous threats from wildlife crime. The local conservationists dedicated themselves to rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife from illegal trade. Thus, HKBWS Asia Conservation Fund sponsored the Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife (LCTW) to implement the project, aiming at rehabilitating rescued birds before releasing them back into the wild by constructing a rehabilitation enclosure.

LCTW rehabilitation team spent 5 months constructing an enclosure (12*13*5 meters) which is made of mesh netting and shade cloth. The enclosure gives ample room for birds including larger raptors to train their wing strength. The chosen materials effectively block unnecessary disturbance from outside and ensure rescued birds not be injured when they fly inside the enclosure. The birds will enter the enclosure after they are checked by veterinarians and go through a 40-day quarantine period to ensure they are healthy enough before being released back into the wild.

Ending wildlife crime is never an easy task. HKBWS is honoured to support the rehabilitation programme in Laos. If you wish to learn more about the “HKBWS Asia Conservation Fund” and support us, please visit https://www.hkbws.org.hk/cms/acf.

*HKBWS transformed the “China Conservation Fund” into “HKBWS Asia Conservation Fund” in 2019, hoping to further support and promote bird conservation in Asia.

LCTW團隊興建的網籠復育裝置 Rehabilitation enclosure built by LCTW Team

LCTW接收從非法交易中被拯救的野鳥 Rescued bird from illegal wildlife trade collected by LCTW Team

獸醫正檢查被拯救野鳥的狀態 Veterinarians from LCTW assessed the condition of a rescued bird