6D Cheng Yun Ho
Doing Nothing is Better
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I’m Marco Cheng from Carmel Alison Lam Foundation Secondary School. May I thank you for giving me a chance to have a sharing with you all?
To begin with, let me ask you a question. Do you know how the bull, Coke, which used to live on the Pui O Beach died last week? It was found dead with its stomach blocked with enough plastic bags to fill two rubbish bins! Such a tragedy can’t happen again so we have to stop feeding wildlife at once!
You may have numerous questions in your mind now. Why would feeding wild animals post harm to them? How would the animals be harmed by getting in touch with us humans?
There are various reasons why we should simply leave them alone instead of offering them food. First of all, human food is not suitable for wild animals. The first thing we have to realise is the differences between the body structures of humans and animals. In our daily life, we are used to processed food rich in fat and protein. The digestive system of most of the herbivores, however, is especially designed for digesting dietary fibers in the grass. Whenever they have eaten popcorns, sausages or meat balls, something will go wrong with their health.
Second, wild animals would lose their own survival skills if they have regular contact with us. According to an experiment conducted by the University of Hong Kong, the successful predating rate of wild animals starts to decline after they have been kept and fed for a period of time. The action of providing food to the wildlife in Hong Kong is actually the same thing! Once they lost us as a food source, how could they survive? Just stay there and wait for nobody? That is certainly what we don’t want to see!
Last but not least, some fatal bacteria may be carried by wild animals. When we get in touch with these “adorable” creatures, we may actually place ourselves in danger. Avian flu carried by the pigeons is one of the most common diseases which would post significant threat to our health.
In order to protect the wild animals and ourselves, the only thing that we can do is to keep ourselves away from the life of the animals and not to disturb them. Thank you for being so attentive to my sharing.