Pink dolphins of Hong Kong under threat due to loss of habitat

Pink dolphins of Hong Kong are under threat - there are only around 60 dolphins left in Hong Kong waters which is a big drop from 158 in 2003. The reduction is believed to be due to loss of habitat. Conservationists have warned that projects meant to expand Hong Kong’s airport and build a new bridge to Macau could affect the population of the city’s beloved “pink” dolphins.
This has been reported in theguardian.com dated 29 November 2015.

The drastic drop is attributed to the large-scale construction work that have been undertaken in Hong Kong which will drive the mammals away for good.
The Chinese white dolphin – also known as the pink dolphin due to its pale pink coloring – attracts scores of tourists daily to the waters north of Hong Kong’s Lantau island. Dolphin-watching accounts for 10 % of Tai O’s tourism business. The pink dolphin became Hong Kong’s official mascot for the handover ceremony in 1997, when Britain returned the territory to China. However, in spite of the affection bestowed on it, it is a vanishing species.
The proposed construction of a third runway at Hong Kong’s busy Chek Lap Kok airport could be the last nail in the coffin. Moreover, the ongoing construction of a 50-Km bridge connecting Hong Kong to the gambling enclave of Macau is another factor.
Samuel Hung, chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, has been going out to sea at least twice a week to monitor dolphin activity for almost 20 years. In his opinion, the drop in population is a result of over-fishing and environmental pollution apart from the increase of high-speed ferry traffic.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Monkey attack in Gurgaon make life miserable for residents

There has been a spate of monkey attacks on residents of Gurgaon with at least 20 cases of monkey bites or related injuries over the past couple of weeks.
A child was bitten by a monkey while playing in a park and many complaints have been coming out from condominiums on Golf Course Road, Gurgaon-Garidabad Road and several sectors in recent weeks. In one case, a group of monkeys entered an apartment through the balcony. The monkey menace is making life miserable for one and all.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 17 August 2015.

Monkey menace in some cities in India are common because these simians come to the cities in search of food – the reason is that man has stolen their natural habitats. Loss of neem, ber and shahtoot trees forced the monkeys to enter cities. Moreover, due to religious beliefs, some people feed them on certain days and, as a result, the simians keep coming to residential areas for food.
Guards in some of the societies are equipped with sticks to deal with monkeys.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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