UPDATE (6 Dec, 12.40pm): The National Parks Board (NParks) was alerted to the incident that took place at the park connector near Punggol Promenade Nature Walk on 29 Nov and is in touch with the cyclist.
For the safety of park users, the forest fringe of the affected area has been cordoned off to prevent the wild boar from entering the PCN.
NParks told MS News the Punggol area does not have a sizeable wild boar population and they have not received feedback on negative wild boar encounters in the area this year.
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Garden city Singapore is thriving with wildlife that can often be spotted in parks around our island. However, some of the creatures can be aggressive and pose a danger to the public at times.
On Friday (2 Dec), a man took to Facebook to share that his dad, who is in his 70s, was cycling along the Punggol Park Connector (PCN) when a wild boar came charging towards him and knocked him off his bike.
He fell face-first on impact and sustained facial fractures.
The family has since reported the incident to the NParks, and the affected area has been fenced up.
On Tuesday (29 Nov) around 8pm, the man in his 70s was on a solo bike ride along the Punggol PCN.
In his Facebook post, his son shared that he was a seasoned cyclist who cycled 200km to 300km weekly for the past two years.
However, on that fateful day, he encountered an adult wild boar while travelling along the bridge near My Waterway@ Punggol.
Source: Facebook
The wild animal charged at him and reportedly hit him at a 45-degree angle, knocking him off his bike.
The impact was so strong that he landed face-down on the tarmac, and his helmet cracked.
Thankfully, a couple who witnessed the incident came to his aid.
They walked him to the nearest HDB block, 669B Edgefield Plains, before contacting his son.
He was later sent to Sengkang General Hospital’s Accident and Emergency department for treatment.
According to the son’s Facebook post, his father’s face was covered with abrasions. He also suffered a cut above his eyebrow, which required stitches.
Source: Facebook
X-ray and CT scans later found that he had also suffered multiple fractures to his cheekbones.
A facial specialist informed them that it was likely that he would require surgery as the cheekbones are crucial in supporting his eyes and maintaining facial structure.
The son shared that they would go for a follow-up session in two weeks to find out more.
In his post, the son said he hoped to raise awareness among cyclists who frequent Punggol PCN to keep a lookout for wild boars in the area.
He also stressed the importance of wearing safety gear when cycling, saying his dad’s helmet “probably saved his life”.
The family has reported the incident to the National Parks Agency (NParks).
NParks was said to have responded to their report and fenced up the affected area.
Wild boars are a relatively common sighting in the Punggol area and can sometimes be aggressive.
According to the NParks website, when encountering a wild boar, one should be calm and move slowly away from the animal. It’s best to keep a safe distance and not to provoke the animal.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook.
The authorities have investigated and closed the incident with no follow-ups required, MFA said.
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