Read at 3 different speeds

Tourism boom leaves cows starving - 17th February 2021

While many hope the Year of the Ox will herald times of plenty, a herd of wild cows in Hong Kong is suffering from food shortages after visitors to their habitat surged during the coronavirus pandemic.

Grass Island has been home to the herd and a tiny fishing community for generations. But with Covid-19 measures limiting travel abroad, a huge influx of visitors has arrived on the island as Hong Kongers look closer to home for a weekend away from one of the world's most densely populated cities.

By trampling through the island's grassy pastures, hikers and campers have transformed the island's thick carpets of grass into barren dirt, decimating the cows' primary food source.

In order to prevent the animals from starving, fresh feed is being delivered to the island from other areas of Hong Kong by wild bovine activist group Lantau Buffalo Association. Prior to their efforts, the animals had resorted to rummaging through visitors' rubbish, as volunteer Jennifer Wai witnessed.

Jennifer Wai: "We, we saw cows going to the bins and hunting for food. And we saw them eat buckets of like, candy that are, like, still wrapped in bottle, and they ate the whole thing. Yeah. And, it was, it was heartbroke, heartbreaking to see."

Ho Loy, chair of the Association, points out the visible effects of plastic on the herd.

Ho Loy:"Many of the cow you can see that they have like a strange, swollen stomach, which mean they have a certain amount of plastic in their, in their digestion system already."

The association is also tackling tourists' attitudes by raising awareness of the importance of wildlife protection. Volunteers urge campers to refrain from littering during their stay on the island.