Liberal Studies: Cows foraging in Lantau Island supermarket [February 20, 2019]
A group of bulls munched on fruit in a ParknShop in Mui Wo.News
A supermarket on Lantau Island had some unexpected visitors earlier this month, when a group of hungry bulls wandered the aisles and fed on fruit. This prompted a concern group to call for more public awareness of diminishing grasslands and the dangers of humans feeding wild animals.
The bulls in Mui Wo, a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island, stole the limelight as Hong Kong entered the Year of the Pig. At least three of the animals were filmed in a branch of ParknShop, enjoying a buffet of fruit displayed in cold storage units and on shelves close to the entrance.
The bulls munched on apples and cherries but ignored a banana held out by a customer. They reportedly stayed in the shop for a short while before leaving. The supermarket said staff notified police, and disposed of the contaminated produce before sterilising the affected area.
The video went viral on social media, with many seeing the funny side. The island’s bovines have been in the limelight recently, following the death of an eight-year-old bull called Billy last November. Billy, who lived on Pui O beach on the south of Lantau Island, was found dead.
His stomach and intestinal tract were blocked with enough plastic bags to fill two rubbish bins. A survey conducted by the government in 2013 revealed there were about 1,110 cattle and 120 buffalo distributed across Lantau Island, Sai Kung, Ma On Shan, and the central and northeastern parts of the New Territories.
Question prompts:
- Why did the incidents involving the bulls cause a lot of concern?
- “Humans and wild animals can live in harmony.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? Explain.
Edited by M.J. Premaratne
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