On Saturday (17 Jan), a French expat spotted wild chickens near Tanjong Pagar, saying it’s always a surprise to come across them.
The Original Poster (OP), yourfrenchiebestie on TikTok, shared a video showing her spotting these wild chickens.
In the video, she sees two chickens, both with visibly different features.
Source: yourfrenchiebestie on TikTok
The clip also shows members of the public walking past these chickens without noticing them.
The OP finds this behaviour surprising.
Source: yourfrenchiebestie on TikTok
“How is this normal? While everyone’s just walking past them”, she questions.
Upon referring to the National Parks Board (NParks) guide on junglefowl, the two chickens might be red junglefowl. The smaller chicken is probably a female, while the larger one is likely a male. This chicken species is very common in Singapore.
These chickens nest in a scrape on the ground, where they can lay up to 20 eggs. These birds tend to roost in the trees at night.
NParks also advised members of the public not to feed wild animals, as it may cause them to lose their natural fear of humans and lead to an increase in their population.
According to the Ministry of National Development (MND), there were an average of about 2,000 feedback cases related to free-ranging chickens in residential estates over the past 5 years.
The MND release notes that NParks is currently working with Town Councils and grassroots organisations on population control measures. The release also highlights that the two organisations are considering habitat modification to prevent chickens from roosting near residential units.
Another crucial aspect mentioned in the release is education, especially ensuring the public knows how to approach these chickens. Authorities also discourage members of the public from releasing or feeding free-ranging chickens.
“NParks does not have plans to relocate chickens to other spaces,” an MND spokesperson noted.
MS News has reached out to the OP and NParks for more information.
Also Read: Woman spots wild chickens ‘taking over’ school in Tampines, says they act like pigeons
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from yourfrenchiebestie TikTok.