Crows raid food and trash at Bedok hawker centre, public raises concern about cleanliness and hygiene

SINGAPORE: It was reported that crows have been stealing food from a food centre, intelligently lifting paper towels that were covering the food and then pecking on leftovers. With this, members of the public raised hygiene concerns. 

A 52-year-old woman complained to Shin Min Daily News that several crows and myna birds have been appearing at a hawker centre in Bedok and are gathered in the dis return area, and it has been going on for one to two years. She also pointed out that these birds are rummaging through garbage cans for food, which makes the hawker centre dirty and disgusting to customers. 

“They also defecate indiscriminately, which can cause hygiene problems,” the woman declared. 

According to studies, crows are very smart birds and are good at solving problems. These types of birds also eat almost anything, and it is normal for them to look through trash for food. 

A reporter from Shin Min Daily News visited the hawker centre, and a female vendor confirmed that the place has a bird problem. As reported by the vendor, the emergence of these birds happens around 4 p.m., and about five to six birds appear. 

Furthermore, she said that the crows know how to lift paper towels before pecking at leftover foods, and would also fly around the hawker centre to disturb diners. The vendor shared that the bird problem has decreased since the hawker centre was renovated two years ago, but occasionally, diners are still suffering from it. 

Another vendor remarked that he also had a bad experience with these birds–crows and myna birds would rest and defecate on top of his stall. 

“Once, bird droppings fell into the cutlery box. It wasn’t until a customer went to get their cutlery that they saw it and told me, and I checked and found the bird droppings,” the 35-year-old vendor stated. 

More vendors even said that these birds would scatter food scraps, and would even throw them in their stalls. The cleaners had no choice but to try their best and clean the dishes in the dish return area as fast as they could. 

Fortunately, this issue has been reported to the relevant authorities; however, it was observed that some preventive measures were ineffective, such as CDs, fake birds, nets, and needles installed in the cooked food centre.