HONG KONG, Nov 23 — A water buffalo grazes in a lush open field, an egret standing sentinel on its back. A herd of wild cattle bathes in the sunshine along the side of a winding road.

Two idyllic rural scenes, seen nearly every day.

In Hong Kong.

This is a place known for its urban superlatives. There are more skyscrapers here than anywhere on the planet. Most residents live in tiny apartments, many stacked atop sprawling shopping malls, which in turn are piled on top of subway stations. With an area about the size of Luxembourg, Hong Kong is continuously reclaiming land from the sea, making more space for its 7.2 million people.

But there is another side to this former British colony. A wild side. Most of Hong Kong is not an urban jungle, but rather a real one, teeming with monkeys, Burmese pythons, barking deer, wild boars and 14 types of venomous snakes (eight of which, including the king cobra, are lethal to humans). About three-quarters of the land here is countryside, mostly mountainous terrain and much of it protected as parkland.

Most of Hong Kong is not an urban jungle, but rather a real one — about three-quarters of the land here is countryside, most of it protected as parkland — bristling with monkeys, pythons and boars, and a lot of feral cattle. — Picture by Lam Yik Fei/The New York Times

Rice paddies once dotted the lowland areas, where for generations cattle and water buffalo plowed the swampy land. By the 1970s, when Hong Kong’s economic boom and soaring land prices made farming less attractive and uneconomical, most of the work animals were abandoned.

They seem to have done just fine.

As many as 1,000-odd feral bovines — mostly cattle but also water buffaloes — remain. While many make their homes deep inside the country parks, others live near people, grazing at bus stops, occasionally raiding gardens and blocking traffic.

This month, an immense, horned water buffalo surprised students by running alongside them in a cross-country race. For many residents venturing outside the city’s urban core, cattle are the first wild animals they encounter.

Animal-rights advocates say the cattle have helped bring a sea change in attitudes toward wildlife in recent years, both among the populace and the government. A decade ago, the animals’ future looked uncertain as developers, especially on Lantau Island, home to the city’s airport and Disneyland, pushed the government to remove them to clear land for new houses.

A dog out on a walk makes the acquaintance of one of Hong Kong’s feral cows in the city’s Sai Kung district, November 17, 2015. — Picture by Lam Yik Fei/The New York Times

Many cattle, which are not a protected species, were slaughtered, and the herds on the island were on the verge of being eliminated, said Ho Loy, who leads the Lantau Buffalo Association.

“It was just like a war,” said Ho, whose group seeks to preserve the island’s cattle and buffalo.

Now, the Hong Kong government agency in charge of managing wildlife is working to preserve the cattle, monitoring their health, tagging them, tracking some with GPS collars, and performing selective sterilisations to keep their numbers in check. Since the agency, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, set up its cattle management team in 2011, more than 300 animals have been sterilised, it said in an emailed response to questions.

Volunteer groups like Ho’s, as well as similar organisations in other parts of Hong Kong, work closely with the government and the public to protect the animals and handle complaints.

The beasts’ higher profile has given rise to a new breed of residents: urban cowgirls.

Some of Hong Kong’s feral cows congregate on a patch of grass in a public area, in the city’s Sai Kung district, November 17, 2015. — Picture by Lam Yik Fei/The New York Times

Karina O’Carroll, 32, is one of them. As a founder of Sai Kung Buffalo Watch, she takes calls from the public at all hours, responding to reports of cattle blocking roads, and protests from people annoyed by piles of steaming cow patties. All in an effort to maintain bovine-human harmony.

“We have gone to pick up poo to appease people,” she said, explaining to them that “it’s the best thing for your gardens and your plants.”

O’Carroll does not have a lasso. She has found that the best way to shoo cattle off the road is to jingle some car keys — they will move away from the sound. Failing that, splash them with water. And although she does not carry a six-shooter, she does on occasion fire anti-maggot medication at their hindquarters.

“They don’t like the sound of sprays,” she says. “You’ve got one shot, and then they’re gone.”

Ho is more of a cow whisperer, talking to the animals in a soothing voice to make them move off the roadway, out of harm’s way.

One of Hong Kong’s feral cows ambles along a wide walkway with a view of the sea, in the city’s Sai Kung district, November 17, 2015. — Picture by Lam Yik Fei/The New York Times

Both women are helped by scores of volunteers, as interest in the cattle grows. The government now sees them as less of a nuisance and more of a tourist attraction.

“The department recognises that the cattle and buffalo are part of the heritage of rural Hong Kong and that it brings pleasure to visitors and locals alike to see these animals in a natural environment,” the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department says on its website.

Cows are far and away the most common wild animal seen in Hong Kong, but encounters with other creatures also take place as the city expands and people venture into the wilderness.

Hong Kong’s thriving wild fauna stands in sharp contrast to the rest of China. From 1970 to 2010, the population of reptiles and amphibians fell 97 per cent in China, while the mammal populations — humans excepted — fell 50 per cent during the same period, according to a study released this month by the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Cattle here are bucking that trend. Their numbers on Lantau Island have more than tripled in recent years, Ho estimates.

“They’re part of our community,” O’Carroll said. “They have to stay. They were here before a lot of us.” — The New York Times