ONLY a few minutes' walk from the busy Tin Shui Wai in the northern part of the New Territories are the trees and thickets of the Hong Kong Wetland Park, with singing birds like the every cheery bulbuls.

The wetland park, with lovely marshes, meandering streams, dense mangrove beds and extensive mudflats, requires a full day to explore.

The eco-wonderland opened last year to encourage more understanding of the importance of wetland conservation and provide a chance for urban people to get closer to wetland wildlife.

"We wish more people will be aware that Hong Kong is not just a cramped city of skyscrapers. In the hinterland of the New Territories and along the local coastline of bays and beaches, there are many wetland environments which are brimming with natural charm and diversity of wildlife," said a spokesperson for the park surnamed Au.

Actually, the park was originally intended to be an ecological mitigation area (EMA) to compensate for the wetlands lost because of a development project.

In 1999, the local government decided to develop it into a world-class wetland eco-tourism attraction, including an indoor wetland interactive world and a 60-hectare wetland reserve.

Exploring wildlife in the metropolis

A walk around the whole park usually takes between four hours and a whole day. Various routes catering to different kinds of tourists have been posted on the park's Web site www.wetlandpark.com.

A typical trip begins from the atrium near to the entrance, which screens an introductory film about the park.

As of 2006, the park had 191 species of birds, 39 species of dragonflies, 113 species of butterflies, 10 species of fishes, 9 species of amphibians, 9 species of reptiles and 9 species of mammals.

The bird-watching season in Hong Kong is from October to April, and volunteers at the park will help you to identify birds.

Know more about wetlands (湿地世界展览廊)

Visitors can get an idea about wetlands from the Wetland Gallery.

The gallery has photographs of wetlands around the world, from the poles to the tropics. Three habitat environments are exhibited in the gallery, namely Frozen North, Tropical Swamp and Hong Kong Wetlands.

Pui Pui's home (贝贝之家)

Wild saltwater crocodile can be seen throughout the Asia-Pacific region, though Hong Kong has never been a home for wild crocodiles.

The situation changed when a crocodile was found in Yuen Long in the New Territories in 2004. The saltwater crocodile, named Pui Pui, became a celebrity as people rushed to Shan Pui River, Yuen Long, in the hope of seeing a real live crocodile in the wild.

The little crocodile was caught and moved to "Pui Pui's Home" last August. Its 72-square-meter outdoor enclosure incorporating a pool is beautifully landscaped and equipped with infra-red heaters, a heating pad and a weighing scale.

Now you can have a closer look at it in the outdoor water pool as well as through closed-circuit TV.

The saltwater crocodile is one of the largest reptiles in the world. A mature female can reach two to three meters in length. Young saltwater crocodile feeds on insects, amphibian, small reptiles and fishes. Adults feed on large animals like buffalo.

Wetland Reserve (湿地保护区)

The wetland reserve includes different kinds of man-made wetlands for plants and various waterfowls and other wild animals.

You will have a chance to see wild birds from three bird observatories along the route. Different wild animals can also be found in swamps, fish ponds, reedy ponds, mangrove forests and mudflats.

Signboards along the route describe the animals and their daily habits.

You can spend a whole day strolling through the reserve, hearing the birds' chirping and enjoying a break from city skyscrapers.

Be careful not to disturb the animals. Visitors should not feed animals or catch them.

To avoid contracting infectious diseases from the animals, wash your hands after visiting the wetland reserve.

Getting there:

Take No. 967 bus from Admiralty (West) Bus Terminus (金钟西巴士总站) and get off at Tin Yan Estate (天恩邨).

Opening hour:

The wetland park is open Wednesday to Monday between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.. Tickets are not sold after 4:00 p.m.

Admission:

Adult HK$30, child, student or senior HK$15

Group discounts are available.

Web site: www.wetlandpark.com