Download Operation Save Wildlife (Episode 2)

ETV “Secondary Level Environmental Education Series”
Programme
Operation Save Wildlife (Episode 2)
Teachers’ Notes
Target Audience
Secondary 1 - 7
Target subject
S1-3 Science, S4-7 Biology, S6-7 Liberal Studies,
S1-7 Environmental Education
Duration
20 minutes
Production Aim
This programme is a teaching resource produced especially for enriching the
classroom teaching in S1 level of the Syllabus for Science (Secondary 1 – 3) prepared
by the Curriculum Development Council (1998).
The content of the programme serves to illustrate the following parts of the
Syllabus：
Unit 2
Looking at Living Things
Topic 2.5 – Endangered species: Key Points ‘Endangered species’, ‘Wild
Life’, ‘Effects of man’s activities on the environment’ and ‘Conversation’,
and Core Content ‘Inter-dependence of life, e.g. predation’, ‘Effects of
man’s activities on wild life’, and ‘Importance of protecting wild life’.
Key Points
1.
2.
3.
An introduction to the work and achievement of the Government, private
organizations as well individuals on saving wildlife,
Explanation of the importance of protection of wildlife, using the concept of
an ecological pyramid; and
Promotion of the attitude to show respect and care of wild life.
Content Outline
This programme is a sequel of ‘Operation Save Wildlife Episode 1’ and is
divisible into 3 segments as follows:
1. Missions Impossible
Using four actual cases, the film speaks positively of the achievements of the
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Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) officers as well as
scientists from private organizations in saving wildlife.
Case 1: Propagating the Birdwing Butterfly
The birdwing butterfly is the only wild invertebrates protected by the Animals and
Plants (Protection of Endangered Species) Ordinance in Hong Kong. The
caterpillars of these butterflies feed only on a plant called the India birthwort.
Unfortunately, India birthwort is extremely rare in Hong Kong, and there are only a
few patches still growing at the hill foot of the Pat Sin Leng range, as well as of
Kwun Yam Shan, Lam Chuen Valley, both in Tai Po, the New Territories; the former
site is designated for development, and will soon vanished. The birdwing butterfly
in Hong Kong is thus facing the danger of extinction.
Ms. Judy KIU Kin-yan, Assistant Manager of the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic
Garden presents a join project carried out in the early 1990s between the Kadoorie
Farm and Botanic Garden and the Hong Kong Ocean Park to breed these butterflies.
India birthwort was successfully grown at the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden
and also at the Tai Lung Farm in Sheung Shui; thereby a stable population of the
birdwing butterfly is maintained, preserving a species almost facing extinction for
Hong Kong.
Case 2: Save the Pitcher Plant
The pitcher plant that lives on northern Lantau Island and Tung Chung is very rare,
and is protected by the Forestry Regulations of Hong Kong. In the early 90s, the
Hong Kong International Airport was constructed in Chek Lap Kok, connecting
roads between the Airport and the city were built at Tung Chung, and along the
northern Lantau Island; the pitcher plants there were faced with the danger of
extinction.
Mr. TAM Tse-wai, Wetland Park Officer of the AFCD tells the story of how officers
of the department arranged to have these plants transplanted to, and preserved in, the
marshes in one of the valleys inside the North Lantau Country Park.
Case 3: Exodus of Tree Frogs
Romer’s tree frog is a species unique to Hong Kong. They only live on some
remote inlands in the Territory like Lautau Island, the former Chek Lap Kok Island,
and Po Toi Island, and in small quantity; they are also protected by the Animals and
Plants (Protection of Endangered Species) Ordinance. In the early 90s, the Hong
Kong International Airport was constructed in Chek Lap Kok, and the frogs were
faced with the danger of extinction.
Dr. Michael LAU Wai-neng, Senior Conservation Officer of the Kadoorie Farm and
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Botanic Garden presents the story of how he and other people concerned arranged to
have the frogs captured, and moved, temporarily, to Hong Kong University; and
how the frogs were later released back to natural environment at seven locations
both on Hong Kong Island and in the New Territories.
Case 4: A Natural Stream Reconstructed
In recent years, construction work has been carried out by the Drainage Services
Department to improve the river courses throughout the New Territories.
Improved concrete river courses, however, do little to sustain life of freshwater
organisms living in these rivers, and may induce crisis towards the extinction of
such organisms.
To prevent such crises from happening, Dr. Bosco CHAN Pui-lok, Senior
Conservation Officer of the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden has successfully
persuaded the Drainage Services Department to demolish the finished concrete river
course of Tong Fuk River in Lantau Island, and replace it with a simulated natural
river bed designed by Dr. CHAN himself, so as to maintain a living condition
capable of sustaining wildlife in the river.
2. Action for the Sustainability of Species
The film, using five examples, points out that the purpose of saving wildlife by the
AFCD and experts from the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden is to ensure the
continuity of the endangered species.
Case 1: Story of a Chinese New Year Flower Bush
There is a natural Chinese New Year flower grove inside the Kadoorie Farm and
Botanic Garden. Dr. Lawrence CHAU Kam-chiu, Senior Manager of the Garden
points out that this primary grove already existed in its present location when the
Garden was built back in the 50s, and it continues to thrive due to the care taken by
the Garden’s staff. Dr. CHAU points out further that this is an excellent example
of preserve wildlife in its natural habitat, and that preserve wildlife in its natural
habitat is the best method of preservation of wild animals and plants.
Case 2: Conversation of the Chinese White Dolphin
The ocean area surrounded by Lantau Island, Lung Kwu Chau and Sha Chau has
always been a habitat of the Chinese white dolphins. In the early 90s, the Hong
Kong International Airport was constructed in Chap Lap Kok. Many of the
dolphins were affected, and found dead in the area during the period of construction.
Experts were invited by the Government to investigate, and to protect the dolphins.
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The American expert on dolphins thinks the best way to achieve this is by preserve
these dolphins in their natural habitat; he therefore suggests the establishment of the
Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park, enclosing the ocean area where the
dolphins congregate and feed, thus providing the necessary protection needed by
these animals.
Case 3: A Paradise for Green Turtles
Based on the principle of preserving wildlife in their natural habitats, the
Government has recently made Sham Wan on Lamma Island a Restricted Area to
protect the endangered green turtles that often come to the beach to lay eggs. The
AFCD has established and manned a station on the beach to observe and to protect
the turtles. If the turtles happen to lay their eggs in the end of the summer season
and the baby turtles may get damaged when hatched in cold weather, the eggs will
be taken to laboratories for artificial hatching, and the young turtles returned to the
ocean next summer.
Mr. CHAN Kin-fung, Nature Conservation Officer of the AFCD explains the studies
on tracing the green turtles carried out by the AFCD in the Huidong county of
Guangdong and in Hong Kong in 2001 and 2002 respectively. A signal generator
is attached on the shell of each of four of the turtles; the turtles are released back
into the ocean and are traced through satellite. After more than half a year, three of
the turtles have been located in Hainan, while one has been located as far as Ryukyu
Islands in Japan. Mr. CHAN also presents the importance of these studies in
preserving the species.
Case 4: A Project to Conserve the Wild Terrapins and Tortoises
The endangered species of three-banded box terrapin in Southern China has almost
been totally wiped out by humans. Rivers and streams in Hong Kong are the last
wild habitat of these animals. Hong Kong is also the last place where the Chinese
pond terrapin and the Reeves’ terrapin could still be found. In view of this, a
project has been launched by the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden trying to
ensure the continuity of these wild turtles. Mr. Paul CROW, Conservation Officer
of the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden who is in charge of the project explains
the ways to distinguish three-banded box terrapin, pond terrapin and Reeve’s
terrapin; and the danger for the survival of the wild turtles in Asia.
Case 5: Why Muse We Conserve the Wild Animals?
Using an ecological pyramid of the masked palm civet cat, Mr. SUEN Kai-yuen,
founder of the Wildlife Conservation Foundation, explains the phenomenon of
inter-dependence among organisms in the wild, and the importance of protecting
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them.
3. Education Plays a Key Role
The best way to stop people from hunting down and killing wildlife for making
profit is to familiarize the people of Hong Kong with how these animals and plants,
and their products, look like; to increase their awareness not to buy these organisms
and products; and furthermore, to report to the authority those who trade in these
items.
It is with these in mind that the AFCD has established inside its headquarters an
Endangered Species Resource Centre at 6/F., Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices
to show, free, to the public animals and plants and their products confiscated by both
the AFCD and the Customs and Excise Department.
Mr. Rudy H.K. CHAN, Field Officer of the AFCD explains the purpose of the
establishment of the Centre. He also asks the public’s help in reporting those who
smuggle and trade in the endangered species and their products.
Suggestions for Utilization
1. The entire programme may be shown to S1 students in one session to serve as a way
of consolidation after the teaching of the related topics in the syllabus.
2. The programme may be shown in one session in an S4/5 Biology lesson on Section
VI ‘Inter-relationship of organisms with each other and with their environment’,
Topic 6(c) ‘conservation’ as background information for discussion.
3. The programme may be shown in one session in a lesson on Section V
‘Inter-relationship of Organisms with Each Other and with Their Environment’,
Topic 5 ‘Man’s responsibility for environmental protection and conservation’ of the
Biology (Advanced Level) Syllabus, or on Section VI ‘Man and the Environment’,
Topic 2 ‘Man’s responsibility for environmental protection and conservation’ of the
Biology (Advanced Supplementary Level) Syllabus as background information for
discussion.
4. The programme may be shown in one session in an S6/7 Liberal Studies lesson on
‘Module: Environmental Studies, Issue 1.6: Protecting endangered plant and animal
species’ as background information for discussion.
5. While implementing cross-curricular on extra-curricular teaching from S1 to S7, as
stipulated in the ‘Guidelines of Environmental Education in Schools’, teachers may
show the programme in one session as a way to initiate discussion among students.
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Suggested Activities
(The following activities are suggested for teachers’ reference only. Teachers may wish
to select suitable activities according to students’ abilities, the learning environment of
the class, and the teaching time available.)
Preparation before viewing the programme
Teachers may discuss with students and ask them to recall materials in the last episode
of this programme before asking them to watch this episode.
Activities after viewing the programme
1. Teachers may discuss with the students why scientists in both government and
2.
non-government organisations make such a great effort to protect and save wild
life.
Teachers may ask the students to browse through the Internet* for information on
the protection of endangered species and the maintenance of wildlife, and ask the
students to print the information out for class discussion.
*Information on the protection of endangered species and the maintenance of
wildlife could be found at these websites:
3.

https://www.afcd.gov.hk/

http://www.kfbg.org.hk
Teachers may get in touch with the AFCD to arrange for visits by students to the
Endangered Species Resource Centre.
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