Wild boar population needs to be managed, says minister

S. Ramesh Channel NewsAsia 22 Jun 12;

SINGAPORE: National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan has weighed in on the subject of wild boars in Singapore.

Writing in his blog on housing matters, Mr Khaw says the wild boar population needs to be managed and re-homing them is, unfortunately, not an option.

On Friday morning, he says two wild boars wandered into the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and charged at a CISCO security officer and a child.

Luckily, he says, they were not seriously injured.

He explained in his blog post that Singapore is a modern 'City in a Garden'.

And he hopes that all species of animals, birds, insects, trees and flowers can have their place under the sun in their natural habitat and not caged up as if in a giant zoo.

This, he says, is a very stretched target.

Singapore may never achieve it, but it forces the people to be creative and to think out of the box to try to see if Singaporeans can co-exist with as many species of living things as possible, without endangering themselves.

Mr Khaw says his priority is protecting Singapore's babies, that they will be safe and grow up well, happy and be able to fulfil their dreams.

That is why the Ministry has to act on stray dogs and wild boars occasionally.

Mr Khaw adds that the Ministry will be as humane as it can, and the need to manage their population remains.

Last month, NParks and AVA jointly rounded up a pack of stray dogs at Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West.

Some have been re-homed, but the rest are awaiting a good home.

Meanwhile, the stray dogs in Punggol continue to worry residents and park users there.

Mr Khaw notes that many Singaporeans are dog lovers but feeding strays indiscriminately and hindering efforts to manage the stray population are not the ways to express this compassion.

Instead, they can come forward to adopt the stray dogs that were rounded up.

- CNA/de

Wild boar incident: Population 'needs to be managed'
Today Online 23 Jun 12;

SINGAPORE - As two wild boars were sighted at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park yesterday morning, with one of them charging at a CISCO security officer and a child, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in a blog post that the wild boar population must be managed.

"Rehoming them is, unfortunately, not an option," he added.

His comments come amid a debate over ways to curb their growing numbers, which negatively impact the environment, according to the National Parks Board (NParks).

At about 8.30am yesterday, the boars wandered into Pond Gardens at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park from the Lower Peirce area, where the population "has grown to levels beyond what is ecologically sustainable", said NParks Director (Conservation), Mr Wong Tuan Wah.

When an NParks staff arrived at the site half an hour later, one of the wild boars dashed back towards Lower Peirce, while the other charged at a security officer on patrol and a five-year-old boy.

The boy, who was hit from behind, was knocked off his feet and landed about a metre away, said Mr Wong in a statement. Both the officer and child were not seriously injured.

Mr Wong said NParks contacted Wildlife Reserves Singapore, and the police cordoned off the area from other park users. The boar was put down with a dart gun and removed from the park after a one-hour operation.

Noting the wild boar population at Lower Peirce could double by year-end, Mr Wong said it represented "an increasing risk to public safety".

NParks is now consulting with Wildlife Reserves Singapore, government agencies, plus nature and animal welfare groups to explore the most appropriate method to manage the wild boar population at Lower Peirce.

Other measures suggested by the public, such as sterilisation and erecting barriers, can be considered, but "cannot replace the need to manage the wild boar population", added Mr Wong. "While our decision may not please everyone, we believe it is necessary," he said.

In his blog post, Mr Khaw raised the "very stretched target" of having people co-exist with "as many species of living things as possible without endangering ourselves".

But he highlighted his "priority" goes towards "protecting our babies". "That is why we have to act on stray dogs and wild boars occasionally. It is to protect our babies. We will be as humane as we can, but the need to manage their population remains," said Mr Khaw.

Last month, NParks and the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore worked with several animal welfare groups to round up and rehome 10 stray dogs at Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West.

Protecting kids is top priority: Minister
Straits Times 23 Jun 12;

NATIONAL Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday defended the government policy of rounding up stray dogs and culling wild boars, citing the danger the animals pose to children.

While he welcomes a diversity of animal life in Singapore, the animals must not endanger humans, Mr Khaw wrote in a post on his ministry's blog.

'In a limited space of just over 700 sq km, it is a zero-sum game and we need to prioritise,' he added. 'My priority is towards protecting our babies.'

He also said two wild boars had wandered into the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and charged at a security guard and a child yesterday morning.

His comments follow news reports two weeks ago that some animal lovers are opposed to culling wild boars to curb their population.

They proposed that sterilisation be used instead.

Mr Khaw, in a nod to their sentiments, said: 'We will be as humane as we can, but the need to manage their population remains.'

For this reason, the authorities are also rounding up stray dogs in parks, he wrote.

While some feel strays should be allowed to roam freely in parks, Mr Khaw said residents living near these parks have reported these dogs barking aggressively, howling late at night and chasing park users. 'An accident was waiting to happen,' he said.

He also said that since stray dogs in Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West were rounded up last month, residents there have been 'happier'.

He urged dog-lovers not to feed strays, saying a better way to show compassion is to adopt a stray instead of buying a dog from a pet shop.

MATTHIAS CHEW