Woman insists on feeding birds at Bukit Merah despite repeated warnings not to feed them by authorities

SINGAPORE: A man who warned a woman not to feed the birds in a grassy area of Bukit Merah went unheeded. He then took to social media, posting a video of the woman.

An older woman wearing a light blue surgical mask can be seen in the video scattering bread from a plastic bag she took from a trolley while pigeons gather nearby.

In the video, a man’s voice can be heard addressing the woman, telling her in Hokkien, “Told you so many times not to feed, but you still do it; I am going to report to NEA, I tell you.”

The video was posted on the COMPLAINT SINGAPORE Facebook page on Sept 11 by Goh Andy.

Mr Goh wrote that he “Advised her not to scatter and toss bread on the grass verge,” but “she ignored (him) and walk(ed) away.”

The incident took place at Block 78 Redhill Lane.

“Bird droppings can be a significant source of infection. Psittacosis is a disease caused by bacteria (germs) found mainly in birds. Bird droppings are highly acidic,” the post author also wrote.

Mr Goh also posted a photo of an area, presumably nearby, where birds were perched and covered with bird droppings.

His post has received many reactions, comments, and even shares. In one of the comments, Mr Goh wrote that his balcony is full of pigeon droppings. Some commenters complained that the same happens in many other areas of Singapore.

“Many elderly are stubborn and don’t understand why they cannot feed, maybe until they are caught and fined,” one woman noted.

Another wrote that while some may think they are doing something good by feeding the pigeons, they’re actually making many areas more dirty.

“This is not kindness,” another commenter added, while one wrote that those who want to feed pigeons should take them home and take care of them.

A spokeswoman for Tanjong Pagar Town Council told Stomp that officials are aware of the person feeding pigeons daily at 85 Redhill and Bukit Merah Central.

“We have spoken to the feeder, and enforcement actions were taken by NParks, but unfortunately, the feeding still persists. We will continue to engage with the feeder to see how best we can resolve this issue.”

Pigeons are common in Singapore. However, their droppings stain public amenities as well as people’s homes. Even more seriously, these droppings can spread diseases.

“Feeding pigeons is illegal, and offenders can be fined up to S$10,000 under the Wildlife Act,” the National Environment Agency said in March 2023. /TISG

Read also: Singaporean auntie criticised for feeding pigeons; netizens debate over her actions