BUFFALOES love mud. It keeps them cool and protects their delicate skin from the sun. When the squelchy stuff is scarce they dig down to reach groundwater and make their own. The tireless churning of one herd on Lantau, the largest island in Hong Kong, has turned a parched field into a swamp full of lush green floating plants. It is a haven for insects and birds, including white egrets which perch on the buffaloes’ backs. Many Hong Kongers cherish these majestic animals and the photogenic touch they add to the island’s largely undeveloped wilderness. But some of the islanders would prefer to get rid of them.
Water buffaloes are not indigenous to Hong Kong. They were first introduced to the territory when it was a British colony, probably from South-East Asia, to work as beasts of burden in the rice paddies. In the 1970s the animals were abandoned—along with the fields—as rural people gave up farming for jobs in towns. Today around...Continue reading
Source: China http://ift.tt/2BK8RAL
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