A video showing contractors engaged by the National Parks Board (NParks) laying out chicken traps has stirred up controversy online.
Two men wearing green vests were seen kneeling on a grass patch and setting up “traps to catch wild chicken”.
Source: Facebook
The OP stated in the caption that the contractors were acting on residents’ complaints.
Based on MS News’ understanding, the incident happened in the Cactus estate in Yio Chu Kang.
The video has stirred up controversy among netizens.
Some netizens were bewildered by the act, claiming that chickens coexist peacefully with their human counterparts.
Source: Facebook
Others claimed that those who lodged complaints posed a greater nuisance.
Source: Facebook
Such sentiments were mostly echoed by residents that Shin Min Daily News spoke to.
72-year-old Tang Xiangui (name transliterated from Chinese), vice chairman of the neighbourhood committee, said most residents do not mind the chickens.
Mr Shi, another resident, claimed he would often bring his daughter to observe and feed the chicken.
He described such experiences as a “good opportunity for children to get to know nature”.
However, a 50-year-old resident who goes by the surname Liao said the chickens can be very noisy when they start crowing at about 7am.
Mr How Choon Beng, Group Director of Wildlife Management in NParks, told MS News that the agency and Cheng San Grassroots Organisation received complaints about free-ranging chicken in the Cactus and Sunrise estates.
The complaints came over the past year and mentioned “dis-amenities” caused by these chickens.
Mr How said that NParks is “removing” some chickens from the area as part of “population management measures”.
In the same statement, Mr How explained that NParks takes a science- and community-based approach to animal management, including free-ranging chickens.
These include studying the population ecology of the birds, conducting biosurvelliance programmes, and implementing various measures such as public education and habitat modification, among others.
“There is no one-size-fits-all management approach when it comes to addressing the multi-faceted issues related to free-ranging chickens,” said Mr How.
NParks also works with Grassroots Organisations to share best practices for population management and engages residents by sharing methods to manage dis-amenities caused by the birds, such as egg removal.
The agency advised the public to refrain from feeding the animals as it leads to overpopulation.
According to NParks, free-ranging chickens do not require food from humans to survive. Leftover food may instead attract pests such as rats.
Also read: NParks investigating alleged capture & killing of free-range chicken at Pasir Ris Park
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Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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