Netizens amused by HDB resident’s wild chicken versus ‘huge cockroach’ pest control plan
A subreddit post has gone viral after an HDB resident suggested bringing a wild chicken home to deal with a cockroach problem.
HDB resident’s ‘chicken solution’ to cockroach issue
On 4 May, the Original Poster (OP) took to r/askSingapore to ask if it was illegal to pick up a “wild chicken” and temporarily bring it home.
The OP explained that a “huge cockroach” was causing trouble in their HDB flat, and they thought a chicken could be the perfect solution to “defeat” the pest.
Source: Reddit
While acknowledging that capturing and eating the chicken would be illegal, the OP wondered if borrowing a chicken briefly and releasing it afterwards might be acceptable.
“I know it is illegal to capture and eat it, but what if I just want to pick one up to help me get rid of the pests at home?” the OP asked.
“Of course I would let go of it afterwards,” they added.
Netizens amused by OP’s pest control idea
The bizarre scenario drew amused reactions from netizens, who responded with a mix of humour and disbelief.
One user jokingly suggested the OP would need a dog to catch the cat that caught the chicken, which had been used to catch the cockroach.
Source: Reddit
A commenter said the OP’s idea “makes sense” and urged them to film the process and post it on TikTok, to which the OP jokingly responded with: “Nice try NParks alt account”.
Source: Reddit
Others poked fun at the idea, with one Redditor asking what would happen if the chicken didn’t solve the cockroach problem.
Source: Reddit
Another netizen told the OP to “just whack” the cockroach, instead of “catching a Pokémon to defeat another Pokémon”.
Source: Reddit
OP shares inspiration behind chicken idea
The OP, who wished to remain anonymous, told MS News that they had seen social media reels featuring chickens eating bugs and were curious if picking up a wild chicken for the job would be legal.
“I also remembered that chickens eat cockroaches, so I thought I could perhaps pick up a wild chicken to kill it,” they said.
The OP also mentioned that while they could kill the cockroach themselves, they thought it might be a good opportunity to “give a chicken a good meal”.
They further explained that there are plenty of wild chickens roaming around, so capturing one isn’t completely out of the question despite the hassle.
“There are so many chickens roaming around. I see them around HDB blocks, as well as around malls and hospitals,” the OP shared.
Capturing wild animals is an offence
However, OP’s plan isn’t without legal consequences.
According to the Parks and Trees Act (Chapter 216), it is illegal to capture, displace, or feed wild animals.
Violating this law can lead to a fine of up to S$50,000 and/or imprisonment for up to six months.
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Featured image adapted from the Bird Society of Singapore & Pest Control in Singapore. Both for illustration purposes only.
