Elderly woman distressed after spotting foreign workers trying to catch chickens in Yishun

SINGAPORE: An elderly woman said she was upset after seeing several workers trying to chase down free-roaming chickens.

In a post shared on Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook page, she expressed that foreign workers were trying to catch a poor hen and a rooster. 

“The hen and rooster running away. Hen is trying to rescue the chicks. As a senior citizen, when I saw these, I felt very bad, and the workers were so rude to me,” she claimed. The photos she shared indicated that the incident took place in a Yishun HDB estate. 

A Nee Soon Town Council spokesperson told Stomp the council will continue monitoring the situation and engaging residents, noting that “balancing different needs in shared community spaces is, and will always be, a work in progress.”

They added that free-roaming chickens are not new in many parts of Singapore, and that the council’s priority remains keeping the estate clean, safe, and pleasant for everyone.

“It is also important that our team on the ground, including our conservancy workers, is able to carry out their duties professionally,” the spokesperson added. 

Additionally, netizens expressed their thoughts and opinions about the subject matter. One commenter suspected that the foreign workers were instructed to catch the chickens. 

Another tagged the National Environment Agency, SPCA Singapore, and the Singapore Police Force, saying: “Please for your attention. Foreign workers are trying to capture wild chickens for slaughtering, probably. And when stopped, turned abusive and rude to a senior citizen.” 

“Dear all, these chickens help to balance our ecosystem by eating worms from the trees and plants. Residences should be educated on their presence,” a netizen remarked. 

One more netizen shared that the pictures only show a man and some chickens, and nobody knew what really happened. “Unless there is a video recorded on what has transpired, we should withhold any judgment,” the netizen’s comment concluded. 

In similar chicken news, some residents have complained that dozens of chickens and birds are making it difficult for them to sleep at night. A woman resident claimed that roosters crowing as early as three or four in the morning affects her rest. She also noted that closing the windows cannot block out the noise.

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