This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Gardens' (KFBG) Wild Animal Rescue Centre (WARC). The longevity of the Rescue Centre's operations underscores our unwavering dedication to animal conservation and community support. In April 2024, we reached another remarkable milestone – the arrival of our 70,000th rescued animal, a juvenile female Asian Koel.

Established in 1994, the Wild Animal Rescue Centre is the only non-governmental organization in Hong Kong with a special licence issued by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for wildlife rescue. Our mission revolves around the rescue and rehabilitation of indigenous animals as well as those possessing significant conservational value. Following their recovery, we release them back into the wild or relocate them to suitable overseas habitats. The 70,000 animals received encompass 17,342 birds, 1,759 mammals, 28,787 reptiles, 21,448 snakes, and 664 amphibians.

On this special occasion, let's review some remarkable milestones achieved by the centre:

1995: Wild Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Programme commenced.

1996: 51 raptors and owls were admitted in the first year of the Rescue Programme. The treatment area was actually a converted kitchen in the Conservation Building!

1997: Construction of Veterinary Hospital, Ward and Reptile Sanctuary enclosures were completed at the Rescue Centre.

2001: December 2001, the Rescue Centre received over 8,000 turtles seized by local authorities. This was the largest seizure of live turtles in Hong Kong and received wide international attention. The event was key to the establishment of the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) in USA, an alliance created to deal with the growing numbers of confiscated turtles.

2011: 609 Pig-nosed turtles were repatriated to Indonesia and released into the Maro river in West Papua. This involved a collaboration with AFCD, the Indonesian government and a local Indonesian NGO. This was a breakthrough collaboration with Indonesia.

2012: Over 100 confiscated rare reptiles were repatriated to the Philippines after 2 months of temporary holding and liaison with the Philippine government. The case received wide media coverage in Hong Kong.

2018: 60 Okinawan Black-breasted Leaf Turtles, which are considered a national treasure in Japan, were confiscated as illegal wildlife trade at Hong Kong International Airport. The turtles were temporarily held at KFBG after being handed over by AFCD. KFBG received communication from Japanese authorities regarding the case, and with support from the CITES Management Authority of Japan, the turtles were repatriated to Japan in March.

On 24th August, 596 Pig-nosed Turtles confiscated by the authorities in January were successfully repatriated to West Papua, Indonesia. The operation involved collaboration with International Animal Rescue Indonesia and received funding support from the World Conservation Society (WCS).

2019: An endangered female Earless monitor lizard from Borneo, which was found loose on an aircraft at Hong Kong International Airport in 2017, was temporarily held at KFBG before being transferred to Prague Zoo in 2019. After arriving in Europe, the lizard successfully gave birth to 5 healthy hatchlings in captivity, which was an encouraging development. Limited information is available about this species and its semi-aquatic biology in Sabah.

2020: KFBG recorded the first rescued Swinhoe's Storm Petrel in Hong Kong. This oceanic species, known for spending most of its life flying over oceanic waters, had a deep chest laceration. Fortunately, after receiving proper care, it made a full recovery and was released three weeks later at Clear Water Bay.

2021: 50 reptiles, held on behalf of AFCD, were transferred to conservation programmes in Germany, France, Switzerland, and the UK. The transferred species included Tricarinate Hill Turtles from India, a critically endangered Ploughshare Tortoise, and endangered Radiated Tortoises from Madagascar.

2022: 55 turtles and tortoises, including rare Galapagos Tortoises, Big-headed Turtles, and Chinese Box Turtles were relocated to Safari Ravenna and Turtle Island in Italy and the Cuora Conservation Centre in Austria as part of our efforts to find suitable placements for government-seized reptiles.

2023: KFBG is the pioneering organization in Hong Kong to implement wing tagging for monitoring black kites. These wing tags provide valuable insights into animal movements, nesting behaviours, and post-release survival, making them an invaluable resource for wildlife rehabilitation centres. The first black kite from the project was released to Cyberport on 26 July.

2024: The WARC admitted its 70,000th rescued animal, a juvenile female Asian Koel. The longevity of the Rescue Centre programme represents our ongoing endeavours towards animal conservation and support for the local community.

This remarkable journey would not have been possible without your unwavering support and assistance. As we reach the 30th anniversary of the Wild Animal Rescue Centre, we are filled with immense gratitude and a steadfast commitment to continue our mission. With your continued collaboration, we are confident that the next decade will bring even greater achievements in rescuing and rehabilitating the invaluable native and conservational animals entrusted to our care.

Support Our Animal Conservation Efforts: https://www.kfbg.org/en/donation