A dog had recently been attacked in the wooded area along Adam Drive. The suspected attackers – wild boars. No one had witness the attack itself, but according to its handler Ms Elvie Lacsa, a domestic help, after hearing sounds from within, the dog had darted into the wooded area by itself only to rush out minutes later whining in obvious pain. By then, it had been badly bitten and there was also a pierce wound on its side. The dog was subsequently treated by a vet and is recovering well.
The attack, reported The New Paper, had sparked concern among residence in the vicinity and understandably so. Wild boars have after all been known to attack humans and pets. They are untamed and often unpredictable. Fatalities due to wild boar attacks have also been reported as near as neighbouring Malaysia.
This incident, two weeks ago, marks the second time in recent months a pet dog had been attack by wild boars. Last December in the Chestnut area, a dog set upon by a pair of wild boars died of the resultant wounds.
Wild Boars in Singapore – Some Facts
According to the NParks website, the wild boar population here is on the rise. While no wild boars had been spotted during the 1992 and 1997 extensive surveys of our nature reserves, 2 herds, numbering about 80 to 100 in total were spotted in the Lower Peirce vicinity alone in recent times (see video below). In addition, the NParks now receive up to 5 reports of wild boars sightings per month.
Wild boars can pose public safety issues. Other than attacking people or pets, they are also a traffic hazard. Wild boars have been seen charging across roads suddenly and without warning. Just last wednesday night, a wild boar was knocked down by a car in the Upper Thomson Road area.
Other human-wild boar encounters in recent times include:
- A non-fatal attack on a boy and security guard at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park on 22 June 2012
- A near collision along Old Upper Thomson Road area due to a large herd of wild boars darting across the road.
The Wild boar population, if left uncontrolled, can also have damaging effects on our nature reserve. They trample and destroy the undergrowth and eat up large seeds, hindering the reproduction cycle of some critically endangered forest trees here.
What You Should Do if You Encounter Wild Boars
While the NParks have already bgan culling wild boars to control their numbers, it is still important to know what to do should you be unfortunate enough to encounter a wild boar. Here are some useful tips provided by the NParks and AVA:
- Stay calm and slowly move away. Avoid sudden movement
- Do not go near any of these animals, especially wild boars with young piglets
- Do not feed them
- Avoid flash photography as it may scare and trigger them to attack.
- Do not startle these animals
Lastly, do assist by reporting any such sightings to the AVA at 1800-476-1600.
This is yet another quality dog news update brought to you by Dog Training Singapore, a provider of top quality dog obedience and agility training services.
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