Contractor falls into wild-boar trap in Lim Chu Kang forest and breaks leg

He says: 'If there were metal stakes planted...'
Zaihan Mohamed Yusof, The New Paper 7 Jul 09;

HE WAS walking and talking with his friend in the forest, looking for durians and herbs.

Suddenly, there was silence from his friend.

Mr Jian Xin, who is in his 50s, turned around. His friend was nowhere to be seen.

Then he heard muffled shouts for help.

Mr Jian ran over and realised, to his horror, that his friend had fallen into a 3m-deep pit.

The impact shattered a bone in his left foot.

His friend, a sub-contractor who wanted to be known only as Mr Loh, told The New Paper in Mandarin: 'There was no way I could tell I was walking into a trap. Leaves and branches had been placed over the hole.

'If there had been metal stakes planted into the ground, I would have been in serious trouble.'

The two friends had gone to the forest off Murai Farmway in Lim Chu Kang in the afternoon on 3Jun, when Mr Loh fell into the pit, believed to have been dug to trap wild boars.

Recently a dog had to have one of its hind legs amputated after it was believed to have been caught in a wild boar trap in the Lim Chu Kang area.

Its picture, with a bloody bone sticking out from what was left of its hind leg, has horrified many over the past week.

The dog, called Kiwi, may have stepped on a 'bear trap' (see report below), which, when triggered, clamps a jaw of metal teeth around the trapped limb.

Fortunately, Mr Loh's injuries were less severe, although he did require surgery to insert metal screws and a plate into his left foot.

An X-ray showed that the bone near his left ankle had been broken.

Mr Loh said the depth of the pit he fell into was roughly the height of two men, which would make it more than 3m.

If a child fell

He said in a telephone interview: 'A child could have been seriously injured if he fell from that height. I'm angry that irresponsible people still insist on trapping wild boars.

'I grew up in this area (Lim Chu Kang) and I do not see any wild boars any more.'

So why do people still set traps in the area?

They do so because they believe that the price of exotic meat like wild boar or monitor lizard can get them a hefty profit, Mr Ben Lee of Nature Trekkers Singapore told The New Paper last July.

While some aim for profit, others simply eat the meat themselves.

Said Mr Lee: 'It's hard to find wild boar meat in the market. But if it's rare and exotic, it will always be sought after.'

Mr Loh told The New Paper that the herbs he intended to collect that afternoon were to help control his diabetes and cholesterol levels.

His friend, MrJian, told Shin Min Daily News: 'We were walking and talking, and suddenly I didn't hear his (MrLoh's) voice any more. When I turned around, I saw him in a deep hole.'

Unable to pull himself out, MrLoh shouted to MrJian for help.

From the way the pit had been dug, Mr Loh said he believed it was done using an excavator.

At the entrance of the trail leading to where the incident had occurred, this reporter saw an excavator parked beside a mound of soil.

Mr Loh, who frequents the area at least once a month, said his friend had pulled him out using fallen logs and branches.

But it was not easy. Mr Loh had trouble clambering out because of the excruciating pain in his leg.

He was also afraid that the branches would break under his weight.

But he clung on by his hands and was finally pulled to safety.

He also suffered bruises to his back and head, said MrLoh.

Once out of the hole, MrLoh hobbled away, supported by MrJian.

He was then taken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery and spent the next four days under observation.

Said Mr Loh: 'I have diabetes and high cholesterol. I was worried that the operation will bring about more health issues.

'But the doctor said that if I don't do the operation immediately, I might not be able to walk ever again. So, I had no choice.'

After the surgery, MrLoh started to worry about money and how to support his family.

The hospital bill came close to $10,000, he said.

Mr Loh said: 'I can't work or walk, and this means no income for two months. The people who set the traps have no conscience. They should be dealt with according to the law.'

Poaching is illegal in Singapore and under the law, any person who kills or keeps any wild animal or bird without a licence, can be fined up to $1,000.

Trapping animals in nature reserves carries a more severe penalty - you can be jailed up to six months and fined up to $50,000, or both.

Mr Loh said he has heard of other cases of people falling into traps.

In the same area, eight traps were found, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Mr Loh, a father of two, said he himself had made two police reports.

One report was lodged a day after his fall and another in the middle of the month, after a woman fell into the trap, added Mr Loh.

Mr Jian claimed that a few days after Mr Loh's incident, a woman in her 50s fell into the same wild boar trap.

He said the woman suffered minor injuries and had to use her handphone to call for help.

Covered up

When Shin Min Daily News visited the site recently, the pit had been covered up.

Another man interviewed by the paper said wild boars have been spotted in the area.

Yet, their numbers had fallen significantly after the traps began appearing, said the man, who gave his name only as Mr Tang.

On weekends, the area where the incident happened is popular with fruit-pickers, herb-gatherers and birdwatchers.

The road leading to the trail is home to several businesses exporting tropical fish.

Now recuperating at home, Mr Loh said his painful experience will not stop him from returning to the Lim Chu Kang forest.

He said: 'From now on, I have to be more careful and watch every step I take. I grew up in a kampung, naturally I'm going to return to a place like the forest where I feel free.'

Additional reporting by Benita Aw, newsroom intern

WATCH YOUR STEP

BE CAREFUL when you walk in the forested areas off Lim Chu Kang.

The trails could be lined with traps meant for wild animals like boars or monitor lizards.

In July last year, The New Paper published a report on traps discovered near Turut Track off Neo Tiew Road in Lim Chu Kang.

We explained and exposed two kinds of common traps - the tension snare and drop cage. A third trap, which we could not find, was a bear trap, believed to be what maimed Kiwi the dog.

Here's an explanation of how the traps work and what to look out for.

The False Bottom

This is the trap which injured Mr Loh.

It consists of a large, deep pit camouflaged by leaves or branches.

A victim stepping on the branches will fall in.

This way, the animal will be kept fresh as it will remain alive after the fall.

Tell-tale signs of the trap include dead leaves or branches which do not fit the surrounding vegetation.

Prodding the ground in front of you using a stick may help you detect the false bottom.

Also practise taking the same route as the person ahead of you.

The tensioned wire snare

This trap is harder to locate.

Its wire noose and tension cables can be cleverly hidden from view.

When a foot or paw steps into a hole in the trap, a small wooden stake in the ground is lifted, causing a wire noose to tighten around the limb.

At the same time, the tension from a rope or cable pull tight against a branch, lifting the trapped limb skywards.

A small animal can be lifted off the ground, while an adult's leg can be hurt by the jolt.

To spot the trap, look for ropes or cables which appear out of place on trees and the ground.

The Drop Cage

This contraption uses a large cage to trap animals.

Bits of rotting food or fruit are used as bait.

When an animal tries to pull the food away, the cage drops and traps it.

The drop cage is easily recognisable by the bait and the sight of the cage itself.

The Bear Trap

This is by far the most dangerous trap. It can maim you.

Last July, a man who gave his name only as MrTeng, told The New Paper that his friend had seen a bear trap near Turut Track.

The trap, placed beneath the surface of the ground, is activated when the victim steps on a trigger plate.

Sharp jaws then clamp shut on the victim's limb.

To release the trap, the jaws have to be pried open.

The trap would be hard to spot when hidden among rotting leaves.

Perhaps the only way to avoid stepping on a bear trap is to use a stick to poke the way in front of you.