Hong Kong-British wildlife videographer Chris Owen discovered his calling in an unexpected moment a decade ago when a barking deer emerged from the forest just five meters away during an off-trail hike. The 37-year-old, who grew up surrounded by skyscrapers and dense urban landscapes, was recovering from a collapsed lung and seeking to improve his health through nature walks. The brief but powerful encounter left him in complete shock, as he had never seen a wild creature beyond common domestic animals in Hong Kong. That one-second moment, which felt like a full minute, sparked a passionate quest to document the territory's hidden fauna. Owen's journey from city dweller to wildlife expert demonstrates how transformative wildlife encounters can reshape a person's life purpose.

Armed with filmmaking equipment and newfound curiosity, Owen returned to the same location repeatedly, spending hours on mountainsides in early morning attempts to film more wildlife. However, he quickly learned that his human presence was a major obstacle, as animals could detect his scent and avoid the area. Hong Kong's thick, dense forests presented additional challenges for spotting creatures directly. After researching solutions, Owen discovered trail cameras, a tool commonly used by hunters that employs infrared sensors to capture photos and videos when heat and movement are detected. These camouflaged devices allow for remote monitoring without disturbing wildlife, with advanced models enabling smartphone access to footage. This technology became the foundation of his documentation efforts.

Since 2019, Owen has deployed cameras across Hong Kong's countryside, facing numerous physical dangers and technical setbacks. Some locations require navigating through overgrown terrain, while others demand sliding down slopes with rope assistance. On one occasion, he became stuck in a swamp for hours, emerging covered in mud from head to waist. Beyond natural hazards, Owen has encountered human threats, capturing suspected poachers on camera in areas containing animal traps. In one alarming clip, a poacher approached his camera with a knife, though the device remained undamaged. Equipment theft has also plagued his work, reducing his collection from sixteen cameras to just four, as many were stolen or destroyed in the field.

Owen's perseverance has yielded remarkable results, with nearly 400 images and videos posted to his Instagram page Wild About Hong Kong and long-form content on his YouTube channel. He has documented at least ten mammal species, including Chinese mongooses, masked palm civets, Malayan porcupines, ferret-badgers, leopard cats, and wild boars. His most significant achievement came after a five-year search for the critically endangered Chinese pangolin, a species trafficked to near extinction for its meat and scales. In 2019, he finally captured footage of one standing directly in front of his camera lens, a moment so exciting he slapped his table in celebration. Owen has also recorded unexpected animal behaviors, such as a piglet repeatedly climbing on its mother's snout despite being flicked away.

Owen's tracking skills were developed long before his Hong Kong wildlife work began. Born in Malawi, he spent his first two years there and returned annually for over a decade. His father, a geology professor, took him on safaris where he learned to search for wildlife and monitor movements through droppings and forged paths. These childhood experiences provided invaluable training for his current work. His expertise has attracted collaborations with organizations like the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling, which sought to identify wildlife on its property, and local farms plagued by wild boars eating crops. Owen always keeps camera locations secret to prevent disturbance to wildlife habitats.

As Hong Kong's urban development expands, Owen warns that wildlife does not remain confined to the 40 percent of land designated as country parks. Animals require freedom to roam between areas, and development that cuts off these paths negatively impacts biodiversity. He discourages the practice of leaving food to lure animals, having learned it disrupts natural diets and travel patterns. While his Instagram and projects currently cannot financially support full-time wildlife videography, Owen hopes his work raises awareness about species quietly disappearing in the rapidly developing city. He acknowledges that raising awareness can sometimes be a cop-out, but believes it is genuinely crucial for conservation. If people do not know these creatures exist, they will not be motivated to protect them.