Monday, February 19, 2007

Wild pigs in Hong Kong pose pesky problem to villagers

The Year of the Pig is upon us but not everyone is welcoming the porcine animal, which represents conspicuous consumption and good fortune to the Chinese. Hong Kong villages are being plagued by wild pigs being a nuisance, and destroying crops. Just a distance away from the residential district of Fanling, a village in the New Territories has a pesky problem. Head Villager Jody Au-Yeung says her village has suffered an alarming rate of wild boar sightings, and claims six pet dogs have died as a result. Villagers have had their crops destroyed. "They step all over, dig up and destroy some of my flowers," says a flower farmer. It has left some feeling unsafe, and there've been requests that the authorities do more to eradicate the problem.