Wild boars are not uncommon at nature reserves and parks. Usually, they’d leave you alone if you do the same. However, a 50-year-old woman had an unfortunate encounter with one along Sungei Api Api in Pasir Ris on Tuesday (17 Nov).
She received a 10cm long cut on her leg and was sent to the hospital.
According to Shin Min Daily News, Mrs Yu was on the way home from a stroll with her husband at 9.30pm on 17 Nov, when they encountered a wild boar about 15m away from Pasir Ris Drive 3.
She said the animal sprang from a bush to her left and charged towards her. Mrs Yu felt a sharp pain in her left leg when the boar struck her, causing her to be knocked over and fall face down.
The animal was reported to be about 1.2m long and ran away after hitting Mrs Yu.
The tusks of the wild boar apparently caused a gash about 10cm long and 3cm wide, on top of cuts on Mrs Yu’s face. Mr Yu, her husband, immediately drove her to the hospital, where she’ll be hospitalised until Sunday.
Mrs Yu had to go through 3 hours of oral surgery and is on a liquid diet, reports Shin Min Daily News.
After her fall, the bones around her mouth sustained injuries while her teeth were pushed inward from the impact.
According to NParks, wild boars may wander into parks, roads, and even residential areas.
While wild boars are not carnivorous and mainly feed on seeds and tubers, they may attack when feeling cornered, or if they believe their young are threatened.
These native creatures can grow pretty huge, weighing up to 100kg. Furthermore, the canines of males may cause serious injuries if they attack.
NParks advises Singaporeans to stay calm and move away slowly if you see a wild boar. Keeping a distance from their young is also a wise precaution.
It should be noted that feeding them is against the law, and can be punished with up to a $5,000 fine for first-time offenders, while repeat offenders may be fined up to $10,000.
While wild boars may be dangerous when provoked, they are still part of Singapore’s rich biodiversity. As long as we give them some breathing space, all should be well.
If you do encounter one – or a group of them – during a morning jog, keep calm and carry on.
Hopefully Mrs Yu recovers well from the incident.
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Featured images adapted from My Pacer and NUS Wiki.
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