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Apart from providing amusement, Hong Kong’s Ocean Park also provides help to save endangered Asian wildlife and habitats through its Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong.

 

And it's through this foundation that the park will allocate HK$5 million in 2006-07 for conservation efforts in Asia. The amount is 160 percent more than what it allocated in the last fiscal year. The funding will help sponsor 25 local and regional scientific projects.

 

"The growing population in Asia is creating new challenges for conservation," foundation director Suzanne Gendron said yesterday. "We are looking forward to growing our projects... to ensure endangered animals and habitats across Asia are protected."

 

The increase in the foundation's funding will also strengthen its ties with the Hong Kong government because it plans to redouble its efforts to conserve marine mammals in the territory's waters in 2006-07.

 

Among its various research projects is one to save horseshoe crabs from extinction in Hong Kong. It will be carried out in collaboration with the City University of Hong Kong (CityU). Since the species is highly endangered, the project will begin with artificial breeding.

 

"We will then work to improve the life-maintaining facilities of juvenile horseshoe crabs before they are re-introduced into the wild," CityU associate professor of biology and chemistry Paul Shin said.

 

With the help of publicity programs, the foundation aims to introduce the public to the history, ecology and conservation of horseshoe crabs in local waters.

 

The foundation signed a contract with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) for the Marine Mammal Stranding Response in Hong Kong Waters program in April.

 

To date, it has tried to save or conduct studies on seven stranded marine mammals with active help from the AFCD.

 

"We conduct autopsies on dolphins that are found dead... to gain a better understanding of their biology," foundation assistant director Tim Ng said. "Dolphins that are rescued alive will be sent to Ocean Park where they can get medical treatment."

 

"Through the conservation of an endangered species, we are hoping to enlighten people on pollution and its ill-effects on the environment and wildlife habitats," Ng said.

 

(China Daily September 20, 2006)