Rescued tortoises released in Madagascar

Over 300 tortoises have been rescued from poachers and released back into the wild following two separate incidents in Madagascar. Local police discovered 271 radiated and one baby spider tortoise on board a bush taxi, 43 more tortoises were discovered abandoned on a road. Six people have been arrested in relation to the incidents.

The local court issued an official order enabling WWF to take the tortoises back to the community managed sacred forest of Ambovo. WWF staff and partners from the Madagascar based Turtle Survival Alliance successfully freed all 315 tortoises the following night. Radiated tortoises are a protected species as they are under threat from consumption and the pet trade. Tortoise meat is considered a delicacy amongst certain tribes in Madagascar.

WWF's GPET recycled bag collection breathes new life into old plastic bottles

Plastic bottles are one of the most common plastic waste objects produced from our modern lifestyles. They are not biodegradable and hence place immense pressure on our near-full landfills. However, used plastic bottles can still be of use. To extend the useful life of old plastic bottles, WWF's Panda Shop has just launched the GPET recycled bags collection. The bags utilize recycled Polyethylene terephthalate, a polymer commonly used to manufacture plastic bottles. To support recycling and the recovery of PET products, click here to view the GPET product details!

(My)#WWF Contest photo exhibition concludes

The (My)#WWF Contest photo exhibition came to an end  last Wednesday, 24 October, with a display of 100 of the best photos from the contest. Members of the public were asked to vote for the best picture at our Visitor Centre in Central and sent postcards of their favorite pictures to friends in Hong Kong and even overseas! The winner of the best picture vote will be printed in the next issue of our quarterlymagazine About Life.

The Future of LoLo

Wetland environments have long been an ideal habitat for Black-face spoonbills however unfortunately danger lurks all around them and threats to their existence continue to grow in recent years. This winter, the Black-faced spoonbill LoLo and his friends face even more severe life threatening conditions. Pollution, insufficient food, hunting and other human activities worsen LoLo's predicament. LoLo's experiences help to shed light on the immense plight of migratory birds around the world. Click here to read more about what LoLo and other wetland creatures are going through.

Currently, there are approximately 2,700 Black-faced spoonbills left in the world. Nearly one-fifth of them remain in Hong Kong each winter.