19 wild boars trapped, put down after recent Bukit Panjang attacks
Exclusion fences, cattle grids installed to keep animals from entering Zhongshan Park and nearby residential estate
SINGAPORE — A total of 19 wild boars have been trapped and removed from the Bukit Panjang housing estate, and subsequently put down humanely by the National Parks Board (NParks), in response to two recent wild boar attacks.
This was revealed by Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of National Development, Tan Kiat How, in response to questions in Parliament on Monday (3 July).
According to The Straits Times, the first recent attack occurred on 1 May, when a 34-year-old woman, Durga Devi, was flung side to side and and later thrown onto a road by a wild boar. She suffered multiple wounds on her right calf, buttock and arm.
The second incident occurred last month, when a 40-year-old man was attacked by a wild boar at Zhenghua Nature Park while walking his dogs at night. He required more than 20 stitches on his left leg.
Installation of exclusion fences
Tan said in Parliament that NParks has been installing exclusion fences and cattle grids along a two-kilometre stretch at Zhenghua Nature Park, as a prevention method from animals entering the park and nearby residential areas.
Three other sites - in Chestnut Avenue, Bangkit Underpass and below the Gali Batu Flyover - were also identified as potential access points.
The fence at Bangkit Underpass was completed in late June, and fences for the other two sites will be completed by late August.
Food waste attracting wild boars
According to CNA, the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) had said that food waste left outside rubbish bins had been attracting wild boars to estates in Bukit Panjang last year.
The Straits Times reported that NParks will be working with grassroots organisations and the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council to inform residents on proper food waste management to reduce food waste that may potentially attract wild boars.
Stable number of wild boars
Tan said in Parliament that the number of wild boars in Singapore’s nature reserves is stable, based on a study conducted between 2019 and 2020.
The study found that the number of wild boars was 6.5 boars per square kilometre in nature reserves and 5.22 per square kilometre at nature parks. Tan said the figures are lower than larger forest reserves in the area with similar vegetation.
Around 50 wild board boars had been culled by NParks in Zhenghua Nature Park since 2019. Most of them were lone males in search of food in new territories.
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