XN000022-1992-07-12 — Page 6

SUNDAY, JULY 12, 1992

IT WILL BE ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES CENTRE, GROUND FLOOR, GPO BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, CENTRAL, HONG KONG.

PRICED AT $152 A COPY, IT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, CANTONESE AND PUTONGHUA.

A JAPANESE LANGUAGE VERSION IS ALSO BEING PRODUCED AND WILL GO ON SALE WHEN READY.

PUBLIC REMINDED NOT TO FEED MONKEYS

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WERE TODAY (SUNDAY) REMINDED NOT TO FEED FERAL MONKEYS IN THE TERRITORY ESPECIALLY THOSE FOUND NEAR THE KOWLOON HILLS.

THE APPEAL CAME FROM THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT FOLLOWING THE SETTING UP OF SOME EXHIBITS AND SIGNBOARDS IN THE KOWLOON HILLS AREA TO MARK THE OPENING OF A SPECIAL PUBLICITY DRIVE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON PROBLEMS CAUSED BY FEEDING MONKEYS.

SENIOR CONSERVATION OFFICER OF THE DEPARTMENT, MR MARTIN LEUNG, SAID: "THE FEEDING OF MONKEYS IN THE KOWLOON HILLS BY VISITORS IN RECENT YEARS HAVE MADE THE ANIMALS LOST THEIR FEAR OF HUMAN BEINGS AND CAUSED THEM TO BECOME MORE AGGRESSIVE.

"WHEN MONKEYS GET AGGRESSIVE, IT IS OFTEN SMALL CHILDREN WHO ARE LIKELY TO BE THREATENED OR ATTACKED.

"IF LARGE NUMBER OF MONKEYS GATHERED IN CERTAIN PLACES BECAUSE OF FEEDING BY PEOPLE, THE NUMBER HAD TO BE CONTROLLED, HE ADDED.

||

THE

THE PUBLICITY EXERCISE IS AIMED AT EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS AND BEHAVIOURS OF MONKEYS AND WHY THEY SHOULD NOT BE FED.

TO CLARIFY MISCONCEPTION THAT THE MONKEYS IN THE KOWLOON HILLS AREAS WILL BE STARVED IF NOT BEING FED, THE EXHIBITS STRESSES THAT THE ANIMALS CAN OBTAIN FOOD FROM THE FOREST, AND FEED ON MORE THAN 100 DIFFERENT PLANT SPECIES.

IN ADDITION, A NUMBER OF WARNING SIGNS HAVE BEEN ERECTED IN THE AREA AND A LEAFLET HAVE BEEN PRODUCED FOR DISTRIBUTION BY COUNTRY PARK WARDENS TO VISITORS.

HAVE

TO CONSIDER

IF THE

HILLS

MR LEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT INTRODUCING NEW LEGISLATION TO CONTROL THE FEEDING OF MONKEYS PUBLICITY EXERCISE FAILED AND THE NUMBER OF MONKEYS IN KOWLOON CONTINUED TO INCREASE RAPIDLY.

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