Singapore — A pet peacock attacked a three-year-old girl in Serangoon Gardens, leaving the terrified toddler bleeding from wounds on her face, at least one of which needed treatment under anaesthesia.
Kris Chan told the story on Facebook on Wednesday (Dec 1) and how the incident couldn’t be considered a criminal offence because the animal involved was a bird and not a dog.
Ms Chan’s husband took their two children to Haus Park Playground on Nov 29, and they were walking back along Tavistock Avenue when they neared a house with a peacock and other birds which were kept as pets.
“Kids will always stop and take a look. That day was no different,” wrote Ms Chan, adding that the gate was wide open and the peacock was inside the enclosed area.
When their daughter looked in from outside, the peacock suddenly charged out and attacked the child “aggressively”.
“My husband rushed to protect her, but it was too late, and he was also attacked by the peacock resulting in scratches all over his arms as well as scrapes on his hands and legs from the tussle,” said Ms Chan.
They rushed their daughter to the hospital, where they were told that the wound was so deep it would require the child to be put under general anaesthesia so that the wound could be cleaned and stitched.
She noted that on the toddler’s face, the stitched area was longer than 3 cm.
On Nov 30, her husband returned to the house where the attack happened, to speak to the peacock’s owner.
The wife of the owner was there and said she was aware of the incident. It appears that the owners do not consider themselves responsible for what happened.
“They say they’ve consulted lawyers and AVS (Animal Veterinary Service) and all agreed it’s not their fault as the peacock is free to roam around within their compounds, and my girl was staring at the peacock, thus provoking it.”
The concerned mother said that no apology had been given.
“They’ll decide how much to compensate us after the bill comes, if any at all,” she added.
But she emphasised that the attack happened outside the house, and that the peacock had charged out of the gate.
Ms Chan also cited the Wild Animals and Birds Act, which states, “owners must ensure that the peacock is kept within a bird-proof cage or enclosure with a fine wire mesh netting to prevent it from contacting any bird, poultry or animal outside the enclosure”.
“This happened to our beautiful little girl, and we’re merely looking for a sincere apology, reasonable compensation and proper closure to this traumatic incident. That doesn’t seem too much to ask, is it?” asked Ms Chan.
She said that at first, they just intended to settle the matter amicably. “But faced with such irresponsible attitudes and unfair claims, we feel proper justice is due to our little girl and to us.”
They have made a police report but have been told that this is not a criminal offence, and it falls under the purview of AVS.
“Apparently, if it’s a dog that bit someone, it’s a criminal offence, but not when the perpetrator is a bird?” said Ms Chan, who said she was waiting for a response from AVS.
It is legal to keep up to 10 non-commercial poultry, including peacocks, in Singapore.
The Independent Singapore has reached out to AVS for a statement.
UPDATE: Dec 3, 2021
AVS Statement
The AVS has responded and clarified the incident today with the below statement:
“The Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of the National Parks Board (NParks), is investigating the 28 November 2021 incident. We are aware of the August 2020 incident and will take it into consideration as part of our investigation. AVS would also like to take the opportunity to clarify that we did not inform the owners that they are not at fault, as investigations are ongoing.
At the same time, we have visited the owners’ home today and observed that the peacock was caged in an enclosure, and have directed the owners that the bird is not allowed to roam outside its premises.
Penalty for breaching the rules
The offence for failing to comply with the Animals and Birds (Prevention of Avian Disease in Non-Commercial Poultry) Rules, can be a fine of up to $10,000 and/or an imprisonment term of up to 12 months.”
/TISG
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