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在香港常見的水牛，其實稱為亞洲水牛，學名Babulis Babulus。全世界的亞洲水牛有兩種類型: - 河川類型和沼澤類型。根據大嶼山愛護水牛協會於200４年與香港大學合作，就貝澳濕地生態與水牛行為研究（研究於２００５年完成）的結果報告，在大嶼山貝澳常見到的水牛是屬於沼澤類型，原產於東南亞和中國南方(Cockrill 1976; FAO 2000;Zhang 2000)。
The official name of Asian Water Buffalo in Hong Kong is ‘Babulis Babulus’. There are two types of water buffaloes in the world – the River buffalo and the Swamp Buffalo.The Water Buffaloes in Pui O,Lantau are of the Swamp type, which is indigenous to Southeast Asia and Southern China (Cockrill 1976; FAO 2000;Zhang 2000), according to a research project operated by Hong Kong University and Lantau Buffalo Association in 2005.

水牛又被稱為'濕地天使'，是在香港境內最大形的哺乳動物，一頭成年的公牛最輕都重800磅(雌牛也有700磅)，是最為令人讚嘆的濕地物種。
The Water Buffalo in Pui O is nicknamed 'Wet Land Angel’ these day. This is the largest mammal in Hong Kong, & is one of the most fabulous wetland species.

眾所週知我們的鄉郊生態環境，被人類經常以‘發展’之名，暴力破壞為實，弄得污染處處，舉目都是生態災難，水牛在貝澳出現就好像上帝差遣到來的天使一樣，棲息在被人唾棄和只利用作棄置污染物的棄耕地或無法站立建築的沼澤地上，每天默默地為那些被人類不斷非法堆填或排放污水的棄耕地，長期作生態復修的免費勞工，經他們生態活化了棄耕地，能有效及恆常地吸收著從村屋和商戶中排流出來的污染物，在它們流出海洋前大大淨化，阻止污染物真接排出到附近的公眾泳灘和海洋去。生態活化了的棄耕地，不但促進了貝澳的地質生物多樣性和生態優化，水牛每天吃掉過度生長的野草，造就了開揚的牧牛大草原景觀，也吸引了無數水候鳥降臨貝澳，讓藉藉無名的臨海小村落變成美景處處的優居地，全多得這免費的'濕地天使'的貢獻。
Our eco-environment has been increasingly and violently polluted by human activity & the Water Buffalo has contributed to the recovery of this habitat to it’s bio-active condition. The buffalo habitat has a greater range of bio-diversity than any other human living wetland area in Hong Kong, thanks to the contribution of the buffalo.

據09年初漁農自然護理署發表的數據，全香港現只有少於在200頭流浪水牛活存在境內的濕地中(其中包括協會在大嶼山區內所確定的49隻在內)。在大嶼山方面的情況，雖然數字經協會多年來的努力，已將島上原來的49隻提升到今年最近的記錄67隻，但鑒於此物種的皮膚有基因缺陷，皮脂腺的功能不足，必須依賴濕泥來保護(皮膚爆裂所造成的傷口，如得不到護理，是足以致一隻一噸重的動物於死)，所以我們的亞洲水牛是畢生都不會離開濕地的。而香港剩下可讓動物生存的環境已經越來越少，可讓動物生存的濕地就更加少之又少，而且那些臨海地，每天都被無數虎視著的填海發展計劃競爭著，可以讓這種動物繼續棲身的適合濕地，是每天地消失著。再加上太多的港人仍然對動物存有歧視，障礙了司法在打擊因人類的歧視而向動物帶來的種種暴力。
According to figures released in early 09 by the Agriculture, Fishery Conservation Department, there are under 200 water buffalo in all of Hong Kong’s wetland areas. This includes the 49 identified by Lantau Buffalo Association on Lantau. Although the figure has slightly recovered (67 found in 2010) after much effort and hard work put into the conservation of this species. They are in very much endangered stage as there is no longer any wetland area remaining in Hong Kong that allows the buffalo to live in it’s natural state.

在協會未成立之前，一個公眾電話投訴，就可以在我們官僚的政府架構下，不聞不問，不根據投訴情況作出任何調查，一整群的水牛（一畜群數字約３至２９之間）一天之內就可以從牠們的原居地，真接送往的堆填區去。所以現存在境內的濕地和亞洲水牛，如果我們不作出及時的保救和保護，它們是可在短時間內全部消失。所以現時協會 和義工村民每天其中一重要工作，就是監察著島上的牛群和數字和牠的福利情況。 Before the Lantau Buffalo Association was established, the buffalo faced constant threats from either traffic accidents, hunting, intentional animal cruelty or mistreatment. Discrimination was ever once the biggest threats to this animal specie, as only one telephone from public complain, without any investigation, a whole herd of water buffalo (a herd size normally is from between 3 to 27 water buffalo) can be put down and relocated to the landfill by our Government within one day. The LBA now monitor the herd numbers and as much as possible, protect the animals form these threats.

與其他國家有別，香港並沒有任何本土動物保育政策可將境內瀕危的亞洲水牛列入法律保障內，因此，我誠邀大家，在牠們還未消失之前，一定要到貝澳來，在香港唯一可近距離體驗這友善得令人嘆為觀止的陸上巨獸，好好感受我們可能將要失去‘天使’和自然環境。
Unlike other countries, the HK buffalo have no official status & lack legal protection against hunting & all manner of abuse or cruelty. So come to Pui O, the only place in Hong Kong that you can experience this amazing friendly giant and their beautiful habitat before they disappear.

作者及攝影：何來
Authored and photo by: Ho Loy

大嶼山愛護水牛協會的Facebook 戶口
Lantau Buffalo Association on Facebook
: http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=5472304711&v=info