{"id":690001,"date":"2026-05-24T05:22:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T05:22:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/690001\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T05:22:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T05:22:27","slug":"hk-filmmakers-quest-to-document-citys-native-newt-and-other-wildlife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/690001\/","title":{"rendered":"HK filmmaker’s quest to document city’s native newt and other wildlife"},"content":{"rendered":"

On a spring night in 2023, Fung Hon-shing was driving on Fei Ngo Shan Road in Sai Kung when he discovered over a hundred newts that had been run over by vehicles. Some had died, while some were on the brink of death. <\/p>\n

\"FungFung Hon-shing films a Hong Kong newt walking on a road in Sai Kung on April 25, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

The striking scene deeply moved Fung, prompting him to crowd-fund around HK$300,000 to make a documentary about the life cycle of the Hong Kong newt.<\/p>\n

The 33-year-old is one of the few full-time ecological producers in Hong Kong, spending long hours in the countryside capturing footage of wild animals.<\/p>\n

A graduate of the Department of Biology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Fung once worked as a research assistant studying the distribution and habits of the Hong Kong newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis). <\/p>\n

But it was not the first time he had encountered the tailed amphibian.<\/p>\n

\"FungFung Hon-shing (front) and his colleague James Kwok hike to a stream in Tai Po with underwater filming equipment on July 9, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\"FungFung Hon-shing shoots with underwater filming equipment at a stream in Tai Po on July 9, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have known the species since I was a child, when my parents brought me to hike in the mountains near my home,\u201d Fung said. \u201cI discovered that newts can live in different habitats like streams, ponds or even drains. The adaptability of the newt impressed me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The creature belongs to a species that was first thought to be endemic only to Hong Kong \u2013 hence the name \u2013 but was later also found in Guangdong province. <\/p>\n

In 2023, Fung, along with several other ecological photographers and videographers, formed a team to spend a year filming this unique salamander. They successfully captured the complete life cycle of the newts underwater \u2013 including courtship, fighting, mating, egg-laying, hatching, foraging, and migration \u2013 and made it into a 10-minute film<\/a>, titled: Life (cycle) of the Hong Kong Newt.<\/p>\n

The documentary was shortlisted for multiple film festivals in Hong Kong and overseas. It won the 2024 Nature Film of the Year award at the Singapore Nature Film Festival. That same year, the short film was also exhibited at an art gallery in Sham Shui Po, bringing the life of the unique creature to a wider public. <\/p>\n

\"HongHong Kong newts underwater. Photo: Fung Hon-shing.<\/p>\n

\"HongHong Kong newt eggs underwater. Photo: Fung Hon-shing.<\/p>\n

The Hong Kong newt \u2013 the only tailed amphibian in Hong Kong \u2013 has a black or brown back, and bright orange spots on its belly to warn predators of its toxicity. The orange dots also act as a fingerprint, meaning no Hong Kong newts share an identical pattern. <\/p>\n

The species is listed as \u201cnear threatened\u201d on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and protected under Hong Kong\u2019s Wild Animals Protection Ordinance.<\/p>\n

Juvenile newts live in streams. Every April, adult newts migrate to woodlands to avoid the rapid currents of the rainy season. Fei Ngo Shan Road is one of the obstacles they must cross.<\/p>\n

Fung collaborated with Professor Anthony Lau, a wildlife ecologist at Lingnan University, to conduct a study<\/a> called \u201cHong Kong Newt Roadkill Survey Project,\u201d published in July last year. According to the research, at least 1,427 newts were run over by vehicles between March and May 2024, with 870 of those deaths occurring on Fei Ngo Shan Road.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the results of this survey were announced, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) contacted the Lingnan University team. Things are changing bit by bit, but the key is that it takes time,\u201d Fung said.<\/p>\n

\"AA Hong Kong newt near a vehicle tyre on a road in Sai Kung on April 25, 2025. Every year during the rainy season, thousands of Hong Kong newts migrate to the forest, crossing the road, which becomes a roadkill hotspot. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\"AA Hong Kong newt carcass lies on a road in Sai Kung on April 25, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\"FungFung Hon-shing and his colleague James Kwok waiting for the right moment to film a frog species in Tai Po on July 9, 2025.Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

In 2020, Fung and other wildlife filmmakers -Daphne Wong and James Kwok \u2013 founded Frigatefilms<\/a>, which specialises in nature content. The production company mainly provides ecological filming and documentary services, collaborating with both the government and environmental organisations.<\/p>\n

The producer describes his work as a way to atone for what humans have done to the environment, despite realising the impact of his projects may be limited. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere is actually very little an individual can do in the face of climate change. Sometimes I make videos to explain why we need to conserve and why we should be more environmentally friendly, but as individuals, what we can do is rather limited,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"FungFung Hon-shing eats lunch in his car before filming in Sai Kung on April 25, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\"FungFung Hon-shing shoots with underwater filming equipment at a stream in Tai Po on July 9, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

Apart from the Hong Kong newt, Fung\u2019s projects cover freshwater fish, frogs, birds, and more. However, ecological filming often means returning empty-handed, and one does not always capture the desired footage.<\/p>\n

Last winter, after filming a whole flock of black-faced spoonbills foraging, Fung set out again at five the following morning. He was accompanied by an HKFP photojournalist, who began following him in April last year.<\/p>\n

As it turned out, there was only one black-faced spoonbill along the same coastline, which failed to provide any usable footage.<\/p>\n

Yet, Fung had a level-headed response to the unlucky outcome. He explained that the speed of the rising tide was completely different from the day before, making the water level at the spot too deep for the spoonbills to stand and forage comfortably, so the birds sought out another location.<\/p>\n

\"FungFung Hon-shing edits videos in his studio in an industrial building in Tsuen Wan on January 16, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\"ChineseChinese white dolphins swim in Hong Kong\u2019s water. Photo: Fung Hon-shing.<\/p>\n

\"Black-napedBlack-naped terns. Photo: Fung Hon-shing.<\/p>\n

Despite the unpredictability of his job, he savours every moment of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really enjoy filming in the wild,\u201d he said. \u201cFor one thing, I get to set foot in many different countryside areas of Hong Kong, getting to know Hong Kong better and building many connections.<\/p>\n

\u201cBesides that, I can spend long periods in these habitats interacting with or waiting for species, which allows me to understand these creatures deeply. Finally, I can use images to explain the stories of these creatures to others and share them, so the filming process is quite enjoyable.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"FungFung Hon-shing operates a drone in Yuen Long on November 18, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\"MigratoryMigratory birds flock to wetlands in Yuen Long on November 18, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

Most people associate ecological documentaries with the African savannah, the Southeast Asian rainforests or the Arctic icy waters. However, Fung still wants to keep focusing on Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

\u201cI live in this place, and my daily observations and feelings all stem from Hong Kong\u2019s ecology, so I want to use images to leave some records behind. It\u2019s mainly a matter of emotional attachment rather than the diversity or uniqueness of the species,\u201d Fung said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of the connection between this place and my own life, I want to try my best to capture more of the different facets of Hong Kong\u2019s ecology.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"FungFung Hon-shing drives to a remote shore in Yuen Long at 5am on March 25, 2026, to take pictures of migratory birds. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\"FungFung Hon-shing at a remote shore in Yuen Long in the early morning of March 25, 2026, to photograph migratory birds. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\"FungFung Hon-shing and a friend take photos of migratory birds at a remote shore in Yuen Long on March 25, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\"Black-facedBlack-faced spoonbills. Photo: Fung Hon-shing.<\/p>\n

\"Black-facedBlack-faced spoonbills. Photo: Fung Hon-shing.<\/p>\n

\"FungFung Hon-shing waits to take photos of migratory birds in Yuen Long on March 25, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\"FungFung Hon-shing and a friend wade through mud to photograph migratory birds at a remote shore in Yuen Long on March 25, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\"AnAn egret standing on a mudflat in Yuen Long on March 25, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\"FungFung Hon-shing on his bicycle in Sha Tin on May 5, 2026. Cycling is one of his hobbies. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

\"CoveredCovered in mud, Fung Hon-shing walks back to his car after taking pictures in Yuen Long on March 25, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam\/HKFP.<\/p>\n

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