Ocean Park promotes animal conservation with crocodile name quest

Ocean Park has unveiled a new member naming challenge for the exotic female crocodile found in Lin Fa Tei, Pat Heung last year to promote animal conservation. She will soon become part of the Ocean Park family, with a mission to engage the public in the protection of Hong Kong’s ecosystem. 

The crocodile, measuring approximately 1.9m in length and 35kg in weight, was transferred from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) to Ocean Park on 30 April 2023.  Estimated to be four years old, it currently resides in the park's dedicated back-of-house area, receiving attentive care from the park’s veterinarians and professional animal caretakers.

After obtaining the possession licence and ownership approval for the crocodile from the AFCD, Ocean Park is now embarking on a quest to find a name that is both meaningful and memorable.  

From now until 31 January 2024, Ocean Park invites everyone to share suggestions for the perfect name that embodies the crocodile’s background and unique qualities. The chosen name will serve as a reminder of the potential harm that introduced or invasive species can inflict upon local biodiversity. 

Participants will have a chance to contribute to raising awareness about the impact of introducing non-native species, which can lead to the extinction of native animals and plants, and cause permanent alterations to habitats.

In the first round of voting from 19 to 29 February 2024, Ocean Park's Seahorse Rangers, Hong Kong’s student-oriented conservation group, will join in selecting the top five names from the public submissions. Following that, the public will be invited to vote for the final name through the park's social media platform from 4 March to 12pm on 12 March 2024. 

To promote the naming challenge, the park will be implementing engaging social media campaigns across various platforms and collaborating with local schools. It aims to create buzz and generate widespread participation through captivating visuals, interactive voting mechanisms and amazing prizes.

Franklin Law, marketing director, Ocean Park Corporation, said: "We are thrilled to invite the public to be part of this meaningful crocodile naming challenge. By engaging our community, we aim to highlight the importance of protecting Hong Kong's unique ecosystem and the potential threats introduced species can pose. We look forward to the creative suggestions and collective efforts in finding a name that resonates with our crocodile's background and the significance of conservation. Please stay tuned to Ocean Park's Facebook page for her latest updates."

Most recently, Ocean Park launched Seahorse Rangers, an affiliate of the Ocean Park Conservation Alliance, empowering over 2,500 students and teachers from 178 local schools to become conservation ambassadors. 

The launch aims to nurture students' passion for conservation from a young age, emphasising experiential learning beyond the classroom. The programme encourages independent exploration of species and environmental changes, providing hands-on experience in animal science and research methods through Ocean Park's unique offerings. Seahorse Rangers is also a key part of Ocean Park Corporation's new conservation advocacy initiative – Mission R. 

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