Singapore is no stranger to wildlife sightings, with reports of wild boars and otters surfacing every once in a while. While most cases tend to be harmless, things get concerning when public safety is put at risk.
One such instance occurred recently after Bukit Panjang residents spotted wild boars roaming around Zhenghua Nature Park.
The boars, according to Holland-Bukit Timah MP Edward Chia, entered through a damaged perimeter gate.
These sightings come at the heels of an incident involving a wild boar ramming into a woman in Yishun. The encounter had left the victim unconscious.
Likely concerned about the potential danger, residents living near the nature park sent in footage of the wild boars to Mr Chia.
In response, Mr Chia announced that he will be collaborating with NParks on possible measures to ensure public safety. He also warned residents not to approach the creatures.
Mr Chia highlighted the issue in a Facebook post on Tuesday (15 Mar).
In the post, Mr Chia explained that he had been receiving images and videos of wild boars roaming around Zhenghua Nature Park. He noted that the increased sightings are of concern, especially for the safety of children and senior citizens.
According to Mr Chia, the NParks officers managed to find out that the wild boars had entered the park through a perimeter gate.
The perimeter gate has apparently been damaged for some time and was left open. This thus made it easy for the wild animals to enter the park.
NParks officers are conducting an ongoing operation to corral the boars back into the wild.
Currently, only one male boar remains at large.
In his Facebook post, Mr Chia also detailed possible measures that the authorities may implement to tackle the frequent sightings.
NParks officers, for one, will work to replace the damaged perimeter gate with a new, wheelchair-user friendly design.
As they expedite the installation, Mr Chia sought residents’ cooperation to close the gates when necessary and to handle them with care.
Apart from the faulty feature, officials also identified feeding at Blocks 465 and 466 to be likely factors that attracted the boars too.
Mr Chia, therefore, warned residents against feeding, noting that this attracts both boars and pigeons. He stated that measures will be taken to enforce the restriction, as he has asked agencies “to step up advisories and enforcements.”
Residents faced with a wild boar are also urged not to provoke it further. Instead, they should try to stay calm and slowly walk away.
More measures are to be introduced over the next few days, to ensure the safety of residents in the area.
The increased frequency of wild boar sightings are indeed alarming, especially in light of what happened in Yishun.
The public should therefore be extra cautious when venturing out to nature reserves. If faced with a wild boar, it would be best to back away and report the sighting.
It is also gratifying to know that Mr Chia and NParks will be doing their best to ensure the safety of residents. With more measures in place, we can hopefully be assured of the security of our surroundings.
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Featured image adapted from Edward Chia on Facebook.
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