Chinese New Year (CNY) is fast approaching and it looks like we are not the only ones preparing to pay visits.
Last Friday (29 Jan), a woman spotted a party of 8 hornbills visiting a Pasir Ris HDB and took to the Facebook group, Singapore Wildlife Sightings, to share about it.
Seeing the ‘group’ of 8, some netizens jokingly praised the hornbills for adhering to the 8-people rule.
On rare occasions, hornbills enjoy making house visits, but they seem to have an unique affinity with Pasir Ris residents.
On 29 Jan morning, 8 hornbills paid a visit to a Pasir Ris HDB block, perhaps to bai nian.
In case you’re having a hard time finding all 8, here’s a ‘clearer’ picture.
Perched on the railings along the 5th-floor corridor, it’s almost as if they were waiting for residents to invite them into their homes for some pre-CNY angbaos.
Netizens were amused at the rare sighting of such a large gathering of hornbills.
Many even praised the hornbills for their im-peck-able ‘rule-following’, sticking to safe distancing measures of being in a group of 8.
This netizen exclaims that they are certainly law-abiding citizens of Singapore.
One netizen even said that the group of 8 was a sign of good luck, cheekily asking for the netizen’s unit number.
Maybe he’ll truly get lucky with the digits at the upcoming TOTO draw.
However, the flock of hornbills also raised some concerns among Facebook users.
Many netizens speculate that someone nearby has been feeding them.
Turns out, this is not completely unheard of. Recently, authorities have been clamping down on such illegal feeding of wildlife.
Seeing 8 hornbills along a corridor is indeed a sight to behold.
But it also serves as an important reminder to all that feeding of wildlife does have its consequences.
It harms these animals who grow reliant on such feedings and has a trickle-down effect on humans as wildlife increasingly intrudes into their living spaces.
Perhaps it’s best to respectfully admire these majestic creatures from afar instead.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at hello@mustsharenews.com.
Featured images adapted from Facebook.
The authorities have investigated and closed the incident with no follow-ups required, MFA said.
He crossed the border daily in hopes of buying a house for his family.
On a few days, the thundery showers might extend into the night.
His church has urged parishioners to refrain from visiting him as he heals.
The kitten will be put up for adoption after its injuries are cured.
The toasts were barely a few centimetres thick.