XN000022-1979-05-16 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1979

3.

SUCCESSFUL BIDDERS MUST PAY IN CASH OR BY CHEQUE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CLOSE OF BIDDING.

A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN TODAY (WEDNESDAY) REMINDED BIDDERS THAT THE VEHICLE REGISTRATION NUMBER WILL BE ASSIGNED ONLY TO A VEHICLE REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER WITHIN 12 MONTHS OF THE AUCTION.

PROCEEDS OF THE AUCTION WILL GO TO THE LOTTERIES FUND.

HK'S RARE EAGLE GOING TO UK WILDLIFE PARK

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A RARE WHITE-TAILED SEA EAGLE WILL BE FLOWN TONIGHT (WEDNESDAY) TO MEET A MATE AT THE NORFOLK WILDLIFE PARK AT GREAT WITCHINGHAM, NORWICH.

THE EAGLE, NAMED +YING, IS A GIFT FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO THE PARK FOR THE PURPOSE OF BREEDING THE RARE SPECIES IN CAPTIVITY.

YING WAS SURRENDERED TO THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT TWO YEARS AGO WHEN ITS OWNER FAILED TO SECURE A POSSESSION PERMIT TO KEEP THE BIRD UNDER THE ANIMALS AND PLANTS (PROTECTION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES) ORDINANCE.

THE BROWN EAGLE WITH A WHITE-TIPPED TAIL IS THREE FEET HIGH, HAS A WING SPAN OF SIX FEET AND WEIGHS ABOUT 12 POUNDS. THE SPECIES COMES FROM THE LOWER YANGTZE RIVER AREA AND NORTHEAST CHINA.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THAT YING, NOW ABOUT SIX YEARS OLD, HAD ALWAYS BEEN KEPT IN CAPTIVITY AND THUS COULD NOT BE RELEASED IN THE WILD.

HE ADDED THAT SOME TIME AGO THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF WHITE-TAILED EAGLES IN CENTRAL EUROPE AND CHINA BUT THE IR NUMBERS HAVE NOW DIMINISHED TO ONLY A FEW HUNDRED BECAUSE OF TRAPPING, SHOOTING AND POISONING OF THE BIRD.

+IT HAS TAKEN US SOME TIME TO FIND A SUITABLE HOME FOR YING AND WE ARE PLEASED WITH THE OFFER FROM THE NORFOLK WILDLIFE PARK. IF MATING IS SUCCESSFUL, THE YOUNG WILL BE RELEASED TO THE WILD IN CENTRAL EUROPE,+ HE SAID.

WHILE YING WAS KEPT UNDER CONSTANT CARE AT AN AVIARY AT THE GOVERNMENT'S SHEK WU HUI KENNELS, HE ATE ABOUT 400 GRAMS OF MEAT RODENTS, CHICKENS AND SHIN BEEF - A DAY.

TODAY OFFICERS FROM THE DEPARTMENT AND THE BOTANICAL AND ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS LOADED YING IN A LARGE CRATE IN PREPARATION FOR THE FLIGHT TO BRITAIN TONIGHT.

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