Task Force Set Up In Sin Ming To Control Chicken Population
Singapore is home to various wild animals, ranging from wild boars to even chickens. This cohabitation can result in a few issues from time to time, requiring intervention — this time, in the form of a task force.
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This was seen in Sin Ming Court in Brighthill, where a task force has been set up to control the chicken population due to increasing complaints from residents.
The task force will avoid culling the chickens, a move that was famously met with outrage in 2017.
Instead, they have been approaching the situation in a more consultative manner, using egg hunts and nets to curb the overpopulation.
Task force to control chicken population in Sin Ming
The Straits Times (ST) reports that the National Parks Board (NParks) has set up a task force to address the issue of the increasing chicken population in Sin Ming Court.
This task force will consist of residents and representatives from NParks, Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council and other committees.
Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Mr Chong Kee Hiong told ST there have been increasing hygiene and noise complaints about the chickens in the last 2 months.
An NParks survey found that there are 69 chickens in the estate — 15 more from 2017 when the chickens had to be relocated.
According to ST, the task force has started implementing measures to control the chicken population in Sin Ming Court.
These measures include nets to prevent roosting next to windows and regular egg hunts to search for eggs from breeding grounds.
The task force also urged residents to refrain from feeding the chickens. This is believed to be the primary reason behind the rapid increase in the population within Sin Ming Court.
However, the measures were not enough to curb the chicken population. ST reports that last Thursday (24 Mar), the task force chairman announced that up to 10 of the animals would be relocated to a farm with NParks’ assistance.
Mixed reactions to chicken task force
The response to news of the task force has been mixed.
While some favour the task force being set up to control the population of chickens, others question if there was a need for it in the first place.
One netizen supports the move, commenting that the issue should be taken seriously.
However, another netizen points out that the task force wouldn’t have been required if residents stopped feeding the birds. Interacting with them in such a manner has conversely worsened the problem.
In a link sharing ST’s report, she asked when residents would learn that their kind intention can bring more harm than good in the long run.
A separate commenter also questioned the efficacy of such a task force if chickens had to be relocated either way. They wrote, “Why then do we need a task force to brainstorm for sustainable measures when we still resort to relocation whenever residents complain?”
In a similar occurrence in Oct 2020, a number of chickens were also relocated from Sin Ming Court, with residents feeling similarly divided over the move.
Do not feed the chickens
When sharing a common area with wild animals, we must learn to be considerate of them. These animals are accustomed to surviving on their own, and engaging with them via feeding and other such habits will likely worsen the situation.
Hopefully, the task force can help ease the situation in Sin Ming Court, and no further efforts are necessary.
In the future, we, on our part, should endeavour to co-exist better with these animals.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Flickr. Image on the left is for illustration purposes only.
