Passers-by filming family of wild boars in Jurong is exactly what not to do

Concern has arisen online after members of the public were found filming and making shushing noises at a family of wild boars that were out near Jurong Eco Garden on Thursday (18 Feb).

One of the people who spotted the boars shared a video with citizen journalism portal Stomp that showed an adult wild boar walking along the sidewalk, with seven piglets in tow. The video featured the voice of someone who can be heard making shushing noises at the boars, off camera.

The woman who spotted the animals told Stomp: “My hubby and I were quite far away when we snapped this. It’s worth letting them become adults.”

Sharing that the family of wild boars did not react to her and husband, she added: “I’ve come across wild boars in the area many times. You can see how they have dug up the ground all along the lane.”

The National Parks Board (NParks) explained that it is natural behaviour for wild boars to dig up soil in order to find food. NParks’ director of wildlife management and outreach How Choon Beng told Stomp that the agency will continue patrolling the area and has put up public advisories in the vicinity where the wild boars were spotted.

Mr How shared that the boars will be trapped and removed as they tend to stray into publicly accessible areas to look for human food sources, and can be a threat to public safety.

Like many wild creatures, wild boars are wary of humans and will only attack if they feel threatened, cornered, disturbed or provoked. Those who stumble upon wild boars in the wild are advised to remain calm and move slowly away instead of approaching or attempting to feed the boars.

Members of the public are also asked to maintain a safe distance and refrain from provoking the animal – for example, by using a flash while filming them. It is also potentially more dangerous to approach adult boars with piglets as the adults may be more sensitive as they seek to defend their babies.