Justice · Animal welfareShek Kip Mei poison investigation: Man arrested over stray-cat foodAired October 25, 2026 at 10:10 PM UTCWritten October 25, 2026 at 10:17 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:07Police arrested a man over suspected poisoning of food left for stray cats.0:11Volunteers had put the food near tennis courts in Hong Kong's Shek Kip May Park.0:15No injured cats were found, but the feeding point is now the focus of a criminal0:19investigation.0:20Investigators still have to determine what was in the food and whether any cats ate0:24it.0:24The volunteer's feeding point was near the park's tennis courts in Kowloon.0:28Police arrested a thirty-four-year old man, identified by the surname Ho on0:33suspicion of cruelty to animals and possession of an offensive weapon.0:36Volunteers reportedly confronted Ho over an allegation that he was putting rodent0:40poison into the bowls.0:41Police received the report around three thirty in the morning on October0:44twenty-four.0:45Officers then arrived, searched him, and made the arrest after a preliminary0:48investigation.0:49Police say they seized one packet of suspected rat poison and a fruit knife about0:53fourteen centimeters long.0:55Those items formed part of the investigation into the food allegation and the0:58suspected possession of an offensive weapon.1:00Suspicion also focused on blackened food or black material covering it and blue1:04liquid nearby.1:05The liquid was suspected of containing rat poison.1:08Its appearance alone couldn't identify the substance, and no laboratory result has1:12been made public.1:13The food had been left to sustain stray cats.1:16Volunteers' concern was that someone had used those same bowls to expose the animals1:19to a harmful substance.1:21Police are investigating that allegation, while the packet's contents remain1:25described as suspected poison.1:26The volunteers' concerns went back more than two months.1:29An animal protection group said it had been finding unidentified liquid in the1:33park's cat food bowls from mid-August.1:36It later noticed suspicious behavior and contacted police.1:39The group's account begins with unidentified liquid in mid-August.1:43The arrest followed the October twenty four report.1:46The earlier discoveries explained the volunteers' concern, but police haven't linked1:50Ho to those earlier incidents.1:51A caller also alleged that cats had previously died from suspected poisoning.1:55Those alleged deaths and their cause haven't been confirmed.1:58For the October twenty four incident, no injured cats were found and no cat deaths2:02were confirmed.2:03The Sham Shui Po District Crime Squad is handling the case.2:06Ho was detained for further investigation on October twenty.2:09Four, police haven't announced a later charging or custody decision, so that2:13detention is the last stated position.2:15Police guidance describes animal cruelty as including cruel treatment and2:18unreasonable acts or failures to act that cause unnecessary suffering.2:22The published penalties give a sense of the potential seriousness of an animal,2:26cruelty prosecution.2:28Police guidance lists a maximum fine of two hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars and2:32three years in prison.2:33Those are general limits under the prevention of cruelty to animals ordinance.2:37Any charges in Ho's case have yet to be announced.2:39The next developments are whether testing identifies poison in the seized material2:43or the food, whether any animal harm is confirmed, and whether investigators bring2:47charges.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗
