On the afternoon of January 5, 2026, a 71-year-old man surnamed Ng was reportedly seen throwing a slipper at pigeons near Lai On Estate in Cheung Sha Wan, Hong Kong. Hong Kong Animal Post, later republished by Yahoo News, reported that the man had already been arrested on suspicion of cruelty to animals and that witnesses believed he had offended again while on bail. A later report said that on February 24 he was again suspected of grabbing a pigeon outside Dragon Centre in Sham Shui Po and throwing it into a rubbish bin. HK01 later reported that police had provisionally charged the man with one count of cruelty to animals over a November 2025 case in which a pigeon was found dead after being struck with stones.

Witnesses said he attacked pigeons with a slipper while on bail

According to Hong Kong Animal Post and a Yahoo News republication, at about 3:30 p.m. on January 5, 2026, a 71-year-old man surnamed Ng was seen near Lai On Estate in Cheung Sha Wan holding a slipper, approaching pigeons, and throwing the slipper toward them. The report said the slipper did not hit the pigeon, which flew away in fright.

The report quoted a witness as saying that she questioned the man about whether he was still offending while on bail. He responded and left. The witness called police and provided Hong Kong Animal Post with multiple videos, saying she had filmed the same man attacking pigeons or other birds in July 2025, November 2025, and January 2026.

At least one pigeon was directly threatened in the January 5 incident. Even if the slipper did not strike the bird that time, an adult deliberately throwing an object at a small animal is enough to cause fear. The repeated witness accounts of chasing, throwing objects, and grabbing birds show a pattern of violence directed at animals that could not defend themselves.

Police had already found a pigeon body in November 2025

Hong Kong Animal Post reported that the same man had been seen by a cleaner on November 20, 2025, allegedly throwing stones at pigeons in Lai Kok Estate, Cheung Sha Wan. Police arrived after a report, found the man holding stones, and later found a dead pigeon in a rubbish bin inside the estate. He was arrested at the time on suspicion of cruelty to animals.

HK01 later reported on March 20, 2026, that police investigations found the man was involved in at least two animal-cruelty cases. He was provisionally charged with one count of cruelty to animals, and the case was scheduled to be heard at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on March 26, 2026. HK01 also reported that police had found the dead pigeon in a rubbish bin after the November 20 report.

These later records make the January 5 sighting part of a longer chain rather than an isolated moment: a pigeon had died, police had made an arrest, and further reports then described a slipper attack and a suspected incident in which a pigeon was thrown into a rubbish bin.

Witnesses described repeated attacks over months

In its January 6 report, Hong Kong Animal Post quoted a witness as saying that, based on what she knew and saw, the man had committed at least five pigeon-abuse acts in June, July, November 2025 and January 2026. She also said that several residents who regularly stayed in the park had seen the man kill pigeons. Another account said that in June 2025 he allegedly struck a bird, then repeatedly threw objects at it as it struggled on the ground until it died.

These statements are witness accounts reported by media and should be recorded as such. They do not replace a court finding. But they explain why the public was concerned about repeated risk: when a person is repeatedly reported to attack pigeons with stones, slippers, or bare hands, the victims are not an abstract urban nuisance. They are living animals that can feel fear, pain, and the will to survive.

Pigeons are often ignored or disliked in cities. Dislike is not a license for cruelty. Public-health or nuisance concerns do not justify beating, throwing objects at, grabbing, or discarding animals. People can avoid the birds, ask management bodies for lawful help, or use humane public measures; they cannot turn small animals into targets for anger.

A February report said he grabbed a pigeon and threw it into a rubbish bin

On February 26, 2026, Hong Kong Animal Post reported that the same 71-year-old man was suspected of grabbing a pigeon by hand outside Dragon Centre in Sham Shui Po on the afternoon of February 24 and forcefully throwing it into a rubbish bin. The report said the pigeon did not resist and witnesses suspected its wings were injured. The incident was posted online and reported to police.

This follow-up made the record more serious. Forcing a seemingly injured pigeon that could not resist into a rubbish bin, even while the exact legal outcome remains to be confirmed by police or courts, shows a public record of disregard for animal suffering. Such conduct should be recorded clearly and rejected clearly.

Legal follow-up

HK01 reported that police later provisionally charged the 71-year-old man surnamed Ng with one count of cruelty to animals over the November 20, 2025 pigeon death in Lai Kok Estate. The case was scheduled for West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on March 26, 2026. Hong Kong's Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance covers cruel beating, kicking, ill-treatment, or causing unnecessary suffering to animals; media reports noted that the offence can carry a maximum penalty of three years' imprisonment.

As of the sources reviewed for this archive, the specific legal outcomes of the January 5 slipper incident at Lai On Estate and the February 24 Dragon Centre incident still require later police or court records.

Timeline

• June 2025: Hong Kong Animal Post quoted a witness as saying a resident had seen the man strike a bird and keep throwing objects at it while it struggled on the ground until it died.
• July 2025: A witness said she had filmed the man attacking pigeons or birds.
• November 20, 2025: Hong Kong Animal Post and HK01 reported that police found a dead pigeon in a rubbish bin at Lai Kok Estate after a report that the man had thrown stones at pigeons. He was arrested on suspicion of cruelty to animals.
• About 3:30 p.m., January 5, 2026: Hong Kong Animal Post reported that the man was seen throwing a slipper at pigeons near Lai On Estate. The pigeon flew away in fright, and a witness called police and provided video.
• January 6, 2026: Hong Kong Animal Post published the report, later republished by Yahoo News.
• Afternoon of February 24, 2026: Hong Kong Animal Post reported that the man was suspected of grabbing a pigeon outside Dragon Centre and throwing it into a rubbish bin.
• February 26, 2026: Hong Kong Animal Post published the follow-up report.
• March 20, 2026: HK01 reported that police had provisionally charged the man with one count of cruelty to animals, with a hearing scheduled for March 26 at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts.

Public Sources

• Yahoo News / Hong Kong Animal Post. Supports the January 5 slipper incident, the witness report, the bail context, and repeated-incident claims.
• Hong Kong Animal Post, 2026-01-06. Supports the original January report, image and video-frame sources, and witness statements.
• Threads / Hong Kong Animal Post. Supports the social-platform video record.
• Hong Kong Animal Post, 2026-02-26. Supports the February 24 Dragon Centre follow-up involving a pigeon allegedly thrown into a rubbish bin.
• Yahoo News / Hong Kong Animal Post follow-up. Provides a republication backup for the February follow-up report.
• HK01. Supports the police investigation, provisional charge, West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts hearing, and the November 2025 dead-pigeon record.