it’s all downhill from here This year, HKDR is hoping to raise $1 million for its Tai Po Homing Centre, which houses hundreds of homeless dogs, as well as its smaller centre on Ap Lei Chau. And to encourage walkers to sign up as many sponsors as possible, a list of awesome prizes will soon be revealed for those who raise the most cash. Walkers gather at the Peak Galleria and stroll downhill to Lan Kwai Fong, where pooches and their owners will find the street lined with food and drinks stalls, live performances, auctions and plenty of fun and games. It’s a fun day, and always a sell-out, so grab your T-shirt ticket early.
FACTBOX: Date: Sunday, November 17 Time: 11am-4pm Meeting Point: The Peak Galleria, The Peak Tickets: $220 (children $180) from www.hongkongdogrescue.com.
creature feature Eurasian wild pig aka Sus scrofa The ancestors of domestic pigs, wild boars can be found in forested areas throughout Europe and northern Africa, Asia, Australia and the USA. The species found in Hong Kong is the Eurasian wild pig and is common in rural areas such as Sai Kung. Growing up to two metres long and weighing up to 200kg, the wild pig is Hong Kong’s largest native land mammal. They have relatively large heads and short legs, with whitish hair on top of the muzzle, face, cheeks and throat. Piglets have light stripes along their torsos, but the pattern fades after six months and by a year old they have adult colouration. Males have well-developed tusks that curve outwards from the mouth while females have smaller, sharp canines that do not protrude. The wild pig is an omnivore that feeds on grass, nuts, berries, birds, insects, small animals and even young deer. Its natural predators include large snakes. When
attacked, males charge with head down and slash upward with their tusks, while females charge with head up and bite. Adult males are solitary except during the breeding season, but females and piglets live together in groups of 20-50. Male piglets leave the group when they mature at 20 months. During the breeding season, mature males join the groups of females and fight for dominance, with the winners mating the most. Steffi Yuen
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