A while back it was otters that were frequently sighted, and now, boars. A video clip of a boar footloose and fancy-free at what appears to be the void deck of a building on Petir Road.
The video of the boar, taken safely from inside a car, was uploaded by @joem0mma_ on Monday (May 16) and has been seen by nearly 130,000 people. The boar sniffs around the area for the duration of the 9-second clip.
https://www.tiktok.com/@joem0mma_/video/7098317228168219905?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=6924973551356675586
Fortunately, no people are around at that time, as NParks says on its website that they are “are unpredictable in behaviour which could pose a risk to public safety.”
However, the poster made light of the incident, captioning his post with “#raya2022 really be happening.”
Other commenters poked fun of the boar sighting as well.
Some netizens, however, expressed safety concerns.
On the Singapore Incidents Facebook page, where the video was shared, netizens commented that the Town Council or the NEA (National Environment Agency) could address the issue.
One commenter said they hoped the population of wild boars would be kept under control.
In March, a wild boar, described by an eyewitness as “not small” and having “long tusks,” ran into a woman at Yishun. The force of the collision knocked her out for about 15 minutes. The boar was later found and put down.
In February, wildlife group ACRES, which rescues, treats and rehabilitates hundreds of wild animals each year, appealed to people to take more care with their food waste as wild boars have got used to treating bins as food sources.
One animal was seen chowing down at Petir Road in the Bukit Panjang area, while two wild pigs in Choa Chu Kang were eating from rubbish bins and even being fed by people.
ACRES warned that “Interactions with a conditioned wild pig by the unaware public can result in potential conflict situations.”
Unfortunately, the two animals found at Choa Chu Kang had to be euthanised because of complaints from residents and the town council over safety concerns.
Not wishing to see the wild pig in Petir Road be euthanised as happened at Choa Chu Kang, ACRES appealed for people to help.
“Can we prevent this from happening at Bukit Panjang too? Can you please share with your friends who live in this area to follow Wildlife Etiquette?”
Wild pigs do have enough to eat in the wild but are attracted to getting “easy food” from waste bins. “Due to habitat fragmentation and development, they are sighted a lot more than before,” ACRES added.
Its handy advisory on Wild Pigs can be accessed here and its infographics here (in English) and here (in Mandarin). /TISG
Wild boar that knocked over woman at Yishun caught and put down