R.I.P. to the 50 animals killed in Ohio. 18 highly endangered Bengal tigers, 17 lions, bears, gray wolves, and more were shot to death by the Sheriff’s deputies in Zanesville, Ohio on Wednesday after the owner of an exotic farm threw their cages open and committed suicide.

The media and animal welfare organizations are all aiming at the state regulations of dangerous exotics possession but my first question was why would they have to kill them all instead of tranquilizing? It is well understood that their job is to ensure public safety and for the deputies tranquilizer darts are not as easy to practice as shooting to death like big game. So I would not say it is a fault, but there were better options.

Those animals are infamously built for the ability of taking out a human, although the possibility of them killing someone is in fact very low. The tragedy in Ohio was sad but the holocaust was somehow unblamable. But right here in Hong Kong there have been many animals being killed unnecessarily. The wild animals in here considered dangerous are mostly snakes. We do have native venomous snakes in here but in fact they are way less dangerous to people than what they are known for. I have often seen tiny little snakes being smashed to death in order to “ensure public safety” but many times those were non-venomous. Another times there were issues of wild boars attacking people then authorities allowed legal hunting. They can attack but after all they are just pigs. They don’t kill people.

Most times the authorities like to tackle problems and avoid responsibilities the easiest way for them but that is definitely the worst way. In a metropolis like Hong Kong, animals would never like to attack humans until they are forced to. Killing only generates hate. Killing endangered animals is even the worst sin that no one is able to compensate.

It’s another unique fusion mixing our animals and sports together. After sweating it off on a lovely Sunday morning, many cyclists enjoyed encountering our critters better than getting a water bottle!

Everything started off unintentionally with being invited to give a speech in an international school.  Then the number and variety of bookings we received keeps growing. My team and myself have been providing animal presentations for some good 6 years.  Now, it has become an enhanced program loved by so many kids and most happily been described as “the best party ever”.

It’s all good now. For me it means we are set for going on the next step.

In Hong Kong there are hardly any places good for kids to learn about and interact with animals, let alone an expat-friendly one. That’s a shame but we all know why there’s none. The running cost of business is so high and it only keeps going up. Animal educational facilities do not make good money, so no one dares to risk.

As you all know I’m a risk taker. It is not about the bucks, gain or loss. but as I see how adults are pushing more and more animals to face extinction I see how important it is to foster some good sprouts who will change the world. This is a very natural rule. Maybe you won’t harm something you hate. but you must protect something you like. So my job here is to create opportunities for kids to meet some nice little-known animals, and to guide them to appreciate and foster an interest in them.

Now, on my birthday, I proudly announce that the project of our brand new animal facility on the Hong Kong side is confirmed. I named it Jurassic Garage. It will be like a club for members to visit and have parties.

The place is about 4,000 sq feet located in the east side. We have checked out Central and Ap Lei Chau but there is nothing available for such a size.

This idea initially popped up in my mind years ago. It took years to turn the research into practice. We clearly understand this is quite a risk in terms of business. But I also understand this is worth a risk for the mighty mission of education!

So I assume it takes a few months for us to build up and decorate the club. Its website www.jurassic-garage.com will be launched soon. Stay tuned.

It’s the office this time, not yet the TV

But now, finally, we have tackled this problem!

We have got a new car – the 2011 Land Rover Discovery 4 – It is registered as commercial vehicle so we can save the van hire cost as well as the extra unnecessary tunnel and bridge fees.

We ordered the LR4 half year ago and finally it has arrived Hong Kong. It will be ready in a week. Our DB customers will not have to suffer high transport cost no more! Everything will be back to normal, finally.

Besides, the LR4 is way more environmental friendly than the previous generations of Land Rovers, too.

We look forward to coming over DB more often! We love DBers!

This is the German version. There are a lot other amazing shots taken that will probably be on other upcoming versions.

*Update:

More of us on the upcoming English version, but unfortunately it’s not for Hong Kong. Here is a screen capture

High resolution files without watermark for printing available!! Let us know.

Tonight we heard noises from the small mammals room and luckily found a pair of sugar gliders getting to mate. After a long rest since last year, two of the young adult males are mature now and started fighting for a girl. This is the dominant male who won the battle and then could not wait to start a vigorous mating, successfully.

Sugar gliders might look like rodent but they are just not as productive. They are actually marsupials from Australian forests. Litter size is usually only 1, or sometimes 2. Baby gliders are called joeys, like kangaroos and other marsupials. Joeys will stay in mothers pouch living and growing until they are completely weaned at 16 weeks.

From the news we get an idea of how bad the damage is to people. There will probably be not much information about that of wildlife but I guess the damage to Japanese animals would not be any smaller.

Japanese wildlife might not be so well known as the Chinese or Australian ones, but from my knowledge Japan has a pretty good variety of species. Within those there are over 50 species of mammals and more than 70 species of reptiles and amphibians that are endemic to Japan. Here is one of them, the Japanese Pond Turtle (Mauremys japonica).

We all understand how important it is to protect endangered species. But on the other hand, species that are endemic to a small area are running the same risk, such as the Japanese Pond Turtle above, even though they are not yet considered a threatened species.

From the Japanese quake we realize how fragile endemic animals can be. Once that area is damaged, the entire species is gone, means extinction. Damage can easily be caused by natural disasters, wars, pollution, deforestation, just to name a few.

Protecting the environment is what we have to do, but this is never enough. Captive breeding should be a thing to do to complement each other. It might not be the most natural way but at least it saves the species in case if its natural habitat is damaged.

For instance our animals which were born in our farm are living a meaningful life not only to help strengthen its gang but as well to be an ambassador for its own species educating people.

I am a natural person myself but for the sake of animals lives I think we should practice extraordinary solution for extraordinary period.

Tarantulas are predators. In the wild when the hunger comes they will prey on almost everything smaller- insects, geckos, tree frogs, and even venomous snakes. The way they hunt is fascinating. Unlike other spiders tarantulas don’t spin web. Instead, they capture prey on their own by their speed and power. Fangs are located underneath so they will swiftly move on top of the prey, bite, and eat.

From the prey’s view it would be extremely scary. Imagine a huge hairy spider jumps on top of you, and you’re surrounded by 8 hairy legs getting a nasty bite on top of your head by 2 huge shape fangs. It’s kinda like you’re going to a salon for a perm and inside the machine there are 2 vertical swords waiting.. Finally venom is injected directly into your brain and you suffer gigantic pain before falling into a coma. Even after you die your body melts into bloody liquid turning into nutrition for another creature… Alright, luckily there’s not yet any tarantula found bigger than human

But everything has its good side if you will use some brain. Our tarantulas are mainly fed on insects. so no bloody scene during feeding. I always try to find interesting facts out of scary critters. Here is one now I can think of. Interesting to tell, unlike other animals, the smaller young tarantulas eat more than the bigger adults. Spiderlings can feed as much as everyday, while adults can fast for 3 months or more. Besides, tarantulas can smell. Without nostrils they smell by feet. Imagine you have to step on a cheesecake with barefoot to taste it.