A rare wild owl that was bred in Hong Kong has attracted scores of photography fans and bird watchers to the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG), prompting the venue to close a part of the site to prevent visitors from getting near.
Images circulating on social media showed crowds of enthusiasts jostling for position on a path in the farm’s nature reserve, pointing their long lenses toward the trees where the rare brown wood owl was nesting.
“To protect the birds, unfortunately, we have decided to temporarily close the road and prevent this disturbance to the young brown wood owl and his parents,” KFBG wrote on its Facebook page on Saturday night.
The heightened interest followed the rare breeding of the birds in the reserve after four years. With distinctively deep and dark brown eyes, the species is native to Hong Kong, according to the KFBG website.
They are believed to have arrived in the city in the past two decades, probably as a result of a natural range expansion from Guangdong province. They can also be found in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The farm warned against using laser beams or owl hooters to attract the birds, and decided to close the relevant road in the park to prevent disturbance.
“While we understand that this may cause dissatisfaction to some photographers, we hope that everyone understands that the well-being of the birds comes first, and we appreciate your cooperation,” it added.
