Hongkongers can visit rescued 2-metre-long crocodile named Passion at Ocean Park from Saturday
- Crocodile finds new permanent home at Ocean Park, after being found and captured in village in New Territories last year
- Entry to see the reptile, a mix of two critically endangered species, will be free of charge in effort to raise conservation awareness among public
Entry to see the reptile, who was named via a public vote, will be free of charge in a bid to raise conservation awareness among the public.
Ocean Park said on Tuesday that Passion, a mix of the critically endangered Siamese and Cuban species, was either being fed or managed to forage for itself in the wild before it was captured in Lin Fa Tei village in Pat Heung last April.
But the park said it could not determine whether the case was considered pet abandonment.
“Through Passion’s example, we hope to enlighten the public about the impact of the introduction of alien species, especially aggressive animals, on the local ecology,” said Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong Kin-yee.
Mickey Lai Kin-ming, deputy director of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, said Passion could remind the public not to smuggle or possess endangered species.
Government officers captured the female aquatic reptile after it was found in the village.
At the time, some villagers said certain parts of rural land were leased for raising crocodiles and black kite birds illegally, and that the reptile might have escaped from one of the sites.
Local animal experts said any sighting was likely to be the result of a resident illegally importing the crocodile from overseas to keep as a pet and abandoning it once it grew too big, as the reptile was not native to the city.
A contest to name the reptile was held earlier this year, with more than 11,000 people voting online and Passion taking top spot.
Since authorities transported the crocodile to Ocean Park last May, it has grown 7cm and gained 3.5kg (7.7lbs). It originally measured 1.9m and weighed 35kg when it was captured.
Been a while, crocodile. What you need to know about Hong Kong’s reptile sightings
The Siamese crocodile can be found in Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, while the Cuban crocodile is only native to Cuba’s Zapata Swamp and has the smallest distribution range among all 28 species worldwide.
Both species are currently considered critically endangered, meaning their populations in the wild have reduced by more than 80 per cent or that their habitats have been severely fragmented.
Meanwhile, Pong revealed that the park was trying to bring in more giant pandas from mainland China and had received positive feedback.
He added that further details were being sought from the Hong Kong government.
