1823 to study adding overnight staff after call about dying monkey went unanswered

The Digital Policy Office said on Monday it noted media reports that a citizen tried to report a dying monkey in Sham Shui Po to the 1823 hotline but the call was not answered by staff.

According to 1823 system records, a citizen called 1823 at 1.56am on Monday to report a dying monkey on a slope opposite the PetroChina station at 338 Tai Po Road, Sham Shui Po, requesting action. A 1823 customer service officer recorded the case and immediately referred it to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Because it was an urgent case, the officer also called the department's duty officer immediately.

The office noted that another citizen called around 1am the same day, but because all on-duty staff were handling other calls, the call was diverted to voicemail and the caller did not leave a message, so staff could not follow up.

The Digital Policy Office said the incident shows there is room for improvement in 1823 services. It will review the situation and study further allocating resources to increase staffing during overnight hours to improve 1823 services.

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