Spotlight unfairly thrown on stray feeding: Animal activists

ROBIN CHOO Today Online 23 Dec 14;

SINGAPORE — Animal welfare groups have expressed concern that the spotlight has been unfairly thrown onto stray feeding — cited by the authorities as one of the main reasons for the emergence of a rat colony at a mound in Bukit Batok — and hope that the authorities do not clamp down on the practice or the presence of stray dogs in the area.

While some have pointed to pictures from pest controllers — brought in by the authorities — of tightly-bound plastic bags of food found in the vicinity of the rat infestation as argument against stray feeding, others questioned whether these had indeed been left for stray dogs.

Such a way of feeding was “weird” and uncommon, said both Animals Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) chief executive Louis Ng and Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD) president Siew Tuck Wah.

President of Action for Singapore Dogs (ASD) Ricky Yeo, however, said the use of plastic bags and Styrofoam boxes was a common practice among individual feeders.

While they acknowledged that some individual feeders may not be carrying out feeding responsibly, the groups said educating these people is the way to go.

Both the ASD and the SOSD have been trying to contact indiscriminate feeders to educate them on proper feeding practices. Mr Yeo said responsible feeding entails creating a routine — feeding the dogs at a fixed time at the same spot every day — as dogs are habitual animals.

By using narrow spaces as feeding spots, animal welfare groups said they can also easily trap the dogs, so that they can be neutered and released back to the same location. This trap-sterilise-release method is the most humane method of controlling stray populations, they added.

When contacted, Jurong GRC Member of Parliament David Ong reiterated that food littering by irresponsible feeding of strays was one of the main causes of the rat infestation.

He added that Jurong Town Council is working with agencies to look at trying to manage the food littering issue and how they can closer monitor and enforce against irresponsible feeding, as well as educating and engaging dog feeders.

On the rat extermination, he said it was “progressing well”.

Meanwhile, in a Facebook post last Friday, former Member of Parliament Tan Cheng Bock said the rise in rat colonies could be due to food establishments located close to train stations. He added that rats could damage underground cables, causing train disruptions.

Calling for a review on the buffer zone between food shops and stations, Dr Tan said: “It is a question of nipping the problem early or suffer the consequences of rat illness such as leptospirosis, and potential train disruptions in future.”

Rat problem at Bukit Batok largely under control: Authorities
Sharon See, Channel NewsAsia 22 Dec 14;

SINGAPORE: Authorities have said the rat infestation problem at Bukit Batok is largely under control. About 200 rats have been caught so far as the operation to clear out the burrows enters its fifth day.

Bukit Batok's rat infestation problem came to light last week after a video taken by a resident went viral. Five days after the operation to tackle the infestation began, pest controllers believe the problem has now "subsided".

The next phase, which will take place after Christmas, is to monitor and control the situation. This will involve the setting up of infrared motion detectors and the planting of baits. This phase is expected to last another two weeks.

Mr Bernard Chan, the manager of Star Pest Control, said: "To eliminate all of the rats is impossible because there will be roof rats in a forested area. They survive through plants and fruits.

"As long as there is no outside food source, they will not be able to multiply so easily. We can continue to do some frequent monitoring - that means coming by once every two weeks to do a check and see whether there is any migration or growth in the population of rats."

Authorities said they had been aware of the rat problem in the area since late last year and had taken measures to control it. However, they said the issue resurfaced in recent months due to the "continuous indiscriminate feeding of the dogs in the area".

The Housing and Development Board said it did not receive any complaints about the rat problem before the video by 33-year-old simulation system operator Ryan Keith Smith spread online.

Mr David Ong, an MP for Jurong GRC, said: "One of the things we are doing now is that on the community-front, we will be mobilising our community on patrol to do more frequent patrols around this area so that we can engage the dog feeders to not leave food indiscriminately, as well as to work with the National Environment Agency to see how we can raise the level of monitoring and enforcement on food littering."

Pest controllers have said that dog feeders continued to leave food in the area even after the operation began.

- CNA/ac

Around 40 stray dogs rounded up in Bukit Batok this year: AVA
Channel NewsAsia 23 Dec 14;

SINGAPORE: About 40 stray dogs were rounded up in the Bukit Batok area this year, according to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA). The authority said it received 100 complaints in 2014 regarding the dogs in the area around Bukit Batok Central, and on those who feed them.

“As there continues to be public feedback about aggressive stray dogs in the Bukit Batok area, AVA will be continuing our stray dog control operations there,” said an AVA spokesman.

The rat infestation near Bukit Batok MRT station has been exacerbated by those who leave food for stray dogs without clearing the leftovers, the authorities have said.

“While the feeding of stray animals is well-intended, feeding becomes an offence when it causes littering of the environment,” said the AVA spokesman. “The feeding of stray dogs results in the proliferation of their population as well as the population of undesirable pest species (e.g. rodents and other vermin) which will cause hygiene and sanitation issues.

"We appeal to the public to cooperate by not feeding stray dogs. AVA is working with the relevant agencies to address the issue of stray dog feeding and the public hygiene issues caused by such actions,” the spokesman added.

AVA has received about 2,300 complaints on stray dogs, this year. In one instance, a man reported that he was chased by a pack of eight stray dogs from a multi-storey car park to his apartment block.

The authority said it works with relevant stakeholders to manage the stray population in Singapore, in order to ensure public health and safety. Measures include public education and surveillance and control operations, and it also works with animal welfare groups to rehome impounded dogs deemed suitable for adoption.

- CNA/xy

The Bukit Batok rat infestation: What you need to know
Diane Leow Channel NewsAsia 24 Dec 14;

SINGAPORE: Bukit Batok's rat infestation problem came to light last week after a video taken by a resident was posted online and widely shared. Pest controllers have been trying to eradicate the rats for nearly a week, and the next phase of monitoring and controlling the situation will take place after Christmas, and is expected to last another two weeks.

We asked some experts for their take on the situation, and the health hazards posed by rats.

Q: How worried should the general public be about this rat infestation?

Assoc Prof Richard J Sugrue, Head of the Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology division at Nanyang Technological University:

It is always a concern when rats live close to centres of human habitation, and the colony at Bukit Batok could have serious implications for the people living and working in the area. Rats can carry a variety of different disease causing agents, and these can be transmitted from the rats to humans.

Rats are associated with the transmission of several important infections in humans, including leptospirosis and plague. In South Korea, during the 1970s, the Hanta virus was identified as the causative agent of Hantavirus hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, and this virus was passed into the human population via rodent urine and faeces.

Therefore, transmission of these disease-causing agents to humans can occur by indirect contact with the rats, such as through rodent faeces and urine.

Being near a MRT station may increase the risk of the spread of infectious agents, since there is a risk that rats can enter the MRT system. This could potentially allow the flow of infected material (e.g. aerosols from infected rat urine) through the MRT underground tunnels, which could have consequences for people living outside the immediate area.

Prof Paul Anantharajah Tambyah, President of the Society of Infectious Diseases:

There are certain diseases associated with rats, but often these are due to the fleas that live on rats rather than the rats themselves. In fact, rats are more a marker of how unhygienic a place is.

Leptospirosis is commonly known as the rat urine disease. Interestingly, there was an outbreak in Bukit Batok Nature Park a few years ago. What happens is - rats carry this bacteria, then they excrete it in their urine. It gets into the surface water, and people running in the water - if you get a cut or something like that and it gets contaminated - then you run the risk of getting leptospirosis.

The other one is murine typhus, spread by the fleas from the rats. The good exterminators know you have to call in the rat specialist and the flea specialist. They are a bit like doctors. They have got different specialists doing different things. Once you kill the rats, the fleas have nowhere to go and they start biting humans, so it has to be a comprehensive approach.

Both diseases are very easily treated with simple antibiotics.

Q: The pest controllers identify the Bukit Batok rats as roof rats, not sewer rats. Is there a difference in terms of the damage these rats can inflict?

Senior Research Fellow Dr Ian Mendenhall and Research Assistant Erica Sena Neves, Laboratory of Virus Evolution, Emerging Infectious Diseases Program, Duke-NUS Medical School:

Actually, the species identified as roof rat in Singapore is not roof rat type species (Rattus rattus), it is the Asian or Oriental house rat (Rattus tanezumi). The Asian house rat is a very good climber, while the sewer rat (Rattus norvegicus) is a ground-dweller and burrows tunnels. Both species are highly adaptable and intelligent, and their propensity to dig and gnaw can cause direct and indirect structural damage to buildings and houses.

We did not examine the animals caught at Bukit Batok personally; therefore we are not able to confirm which species it is.

Q: Is it fair to blame the feeders of stray dogs for the proliferation of the rats?

Dr Mendenhall and Ms Neves:

In highly urbanised cities like Singapore, there are endless sources of food for the rats. Therefore, it is likely there are multiple contributors to the problem.

Q: What should authorities and residents do to prevent this sort of rat infestation from happening again?

Dr Mendenhall and Ms Neves:

It is frequently said that there are as many rats in cities as people, and undoubtedly we will never be able to completely eliminate these animals from urban environments.

However their population size is kept under control by removing the two main elements required for their proliferation: Food and shelter. The primary interventions are to manage the garbage properly by keeping discarded food in tightly closed containers, to cover drains and vents, and to seal cracks and holes.

Trapping around areas where these animals are likely to be found, such as hawker centers and garbage disposal areas, is also useful for monitoring rat populations so that control measures to mitigate infestations can be implemented in a timely manner. Interestingly, it was public awareness that detected this problem and this is increasingly used to augment surveillance.

- CNA/xy

Pest controllers need three weeks to end Bt Batok rat problem
Joyce Lim The Straits Times AsiaOne 24 Dec 14;

An estimated 180 rats have been caught, five days into an operation to rid an area beside Bukit Batok MRT station of the rodents.

But pest controllers said three weeks are needed in all to wipe out the rat infestation.

At the weekend, pest controllers also expanded their area of surveillance where traps and poison were laid, after finding the infestation to be "bigger than expected", said Mr Bernard Chan, who has been leading the operation since Day 1.

"We are now covering an area close to the size of a football field," said the general manager of Star Pest Control.

The rat problem was highlighted after Mr Ryan Keith Smith, a resident of the area, posted a widely viewed video last Tuesday, showing rats scurrying around a slope beside the MRT station.

The 33-year-old military simulation operator also e-mailed photos of the rats to the town council and agencies such as the National Environment Agency.

Two days later, pest controllers were seen combing the hill next to the MRT station.

Mr Chan said his team of 20 to 30 pest controllers have been working from 8am to 10pm for the past few days.

They have also braved frequent downpours to venture deep into the forested area in search of more burrows.

"We are hoping to end the first phase of our mission by Wednesday. That is to keep the rat infestation under control, making sure that the rats no longer come out in the open area," Mr Chan told The Straits Times.

"The next phase will be to monitor the area to ensure that there is no more rat infestation on this hill. We will also implement measures to ensure that the rats do not reproduce."

Pest controllers found about 10kg of food left for stray dogs in the area, which they said contributed to the rat problem.

Mr Chan warned that the rats might migrate to the MRT station and other areas if they are not kept under control.

But the rodent menace looks to have abated. A worker at a bakery at the station, who gave his name only as Mr Yong, 21, said: "When I come to work at 4am, I used to see the rats running across the MRT station. But I haven't spotted any in the past few days."

Rat infestation: AVA to continue with stray dog control operations
ELGIN CHONG AND ROBIN CHOO Today Online 23 Dec 14;

SINGAPORE — About 100 instances of feedback about stray dogs and the feeding of these dogs in the Bukit Batok Central area — which have been cited as the main cause of a rat infestation in the estate — have been sent to the authorities as of November this year.

Responding to media queries, the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said it has been conducting stray dog control operations in the area in response to public feedback, and about 40 dogs have been rounded up in the Bukit Batok area this year so far.

“AVA works closely with the (animal welfare group) rehoming partners to rehome impounded dogs assessed to be suitable for rehoming, based on health and temperament,” a spokesperson said. “As there continues to be public feedback about aggressive stray dogs in the Bukit Batok area, AVA will be continuing our stray dog control operations there.”

The rat infestation in Bukit Batok surfaced last week after members of the public shared videos of the rats scurrying over the slope near Bukit Batok MRT Station. Pest controllers launched control operations last Thursday, catching about 200 rats so far, and 20 infrared motion detector cameras were installed today(Dec 23) to monitor for rodent activity at night.

Animal welfare groups have also expressed concern that the blame heaped upon the feeding of strays for the problem would cast the practice in a poor light, and lead to a clampdown.

The AVA noted that while the feeding of stray animals is well-intended, the feeding of stray dogs results in their population growing, while pests — such as rodents and other vermin — also flourish, causing hygiene and sanitation issues. “We appeal to the public to cooperate by not feeding stray dogs,” the spokesperson said.

The authority also said overall, it has received about 2,300 instances of public feedback on stray dogs this year as of November, with some expressing fear and anxiety over the presence of the dogs, aggressive stray dogs and other related nuisances.

Meanwhile, Star Pest Controller, which is overseeing the operations at Bukit Batok, said the latest phase of the operations — monitoring for rat activity at night — is expected to take around two weeks.

“We don’t know how many rats are still remaining in the forest, but once we have determined whether the rats are still active or not, we will decide our next course of action from there,” said Mr Bernard Chan, Star Pest Control’s manager.

Baits have been placed at hotspots identified during the first phase of operations and a team of eight will monitor the cameras for movements round the clock. “We have been using the cameras for two years and it is very effective because it gives us adequate information on whether the targeted pest is still active,” said Mr Chan.

His team will also notify the authorities if they spot any dog feeders in action. “Everyday, the pest control team finds dog food in different parts of the forest area. This means that the feeders probably sneak up the hill every night,” Mr Chan said. “Just yesterday, the team went for their dinner break and when they came back, food suddenly appeared out of nowhere.”

Don’t blame stray dogs for rat infestation at Bukit Batok: SPCA
Today Online 26 Dec 14;

SINGAPORE — Stray dogs are not to blame for the rat infestation at Bukit Batok, said the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Singapore, pointing instead to members of the public who feed the dogs without cleaning up the leftover food.

In a letter sent to this newspaper yesterday (Dec 25), the SPCA’s executive director Corinne Fong responded to media reports on the cause of the rodent infestation, calling for greater tolerance towards community animals.

She said: “SPCA wishes to dispute the notion that the community dogs are ultimately responsible for the rodent infestation in the area. Many a time, it has been observed that members of the public have been casually feeding the dogs, without actually cleaning up leftover food.”

She added that there is “already a core group of community feeders (and caregivers tending to the dogs’ basic nutritional needs and care) who would be happy to help in resolving any issue concerning the dogs”.

The issue of a rat infestation at Bukit Batok emerged earlier this month, with authorities placing the blame on indiscriminate stray feeding. Some people have called for the removal of the dogs in the area. Animal welfare groups TODAY spoke with previously had expressed concern that stray feeding was unfairly thrown into the spotlight, and they hoped that the authorities would not clamp down on the practice, or the presence of stray dogs in Bukit Batok.

Ms Fong pointed out: “We must recognise that the community dogs have no place to go and, while the SPCA and other animal welfare groups have tried their best to house them, they have space and resource constraints.” She add that the SPCA does not round up healthy animals from the streets.

“A little more empathy, too, will go a long way,” said Ms Fong.

More than 230 rats have been caught since the operations to eradicate them started on Dec 18. Pest controllers have said it will take two more weeks before the exercise ends.

MP weighs in on rat problem at Bukit Batok
Channel NewsAsia 27 Dec 14;

SINGAPORE: Member of Parliament Lim Biow Chuan on Saturday (Dec 27) weighed in on the rat problem at Bukit Batok. He said many do not understand that stray dogs may not finish the food left for them, allowing rats and other pests to flourish.

Mr Lim, member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for National Development and Environment, said: "We should go on an outreach programme to reach out to coffeeshop owners and people living in the area, to say that if they see anyone trying to feed stray dogs, tell them to please make sure that they clear up the food after they have fed the animals. Of course, it's best if you don't even feed the animals, because you're just leaving food around in an unhygienic manner."

Mr Lim added that while officers from the National Environment Agency and the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority could step up patrols in the area, they have limited resources. He said public education on the problem of leaving unconsumed food out would be the most effective solution.

Meanwhile, those involved in the pest control operation at Bukit Batok are seeing their efforts bear fruit. Only six rats were caught from Friday night to Saturday afternoon, while infrared cameras set up around the area detected no trace of rats.

- CNA/al