Bukit Batok hillside cleared to drive out rodents and stray dogs

MATTHIAS TAY Today Online 17 Jun 15;

SINGAPORE — A broad swathe of trees and vegetation has been cleared from the forested hill next to Bukit Batok MRT station in an attempt to remove rat burrows, as well as rid stray dogs of possible hiding places.

The Housing and Development Board (HDB), which manages the state land, confirmed this today (March 16) in response to media queries over the denuded hillside, which made headlines last December for a rat infestation that saw the hill crawling with rodents.

At the time, the HDB and other government agencies as well as the Jurong Town Council had said the feeding of stray dogs in the area needed to be stopped in order for the rodents to be eradicated. The food scraps left behind by people “indiscriminately feeding” dogs had attracted rodents, they said, an observation that drew the ire of animal welfare groups, which felt it cast the actions of responsible stray feeders in an unfavourable light.

The infestation was declared over by pest-controller Star Pest Control in January, after the company, among other things, set traps to catch the rats and installed surveillance cameras on a few occasions to monitor for rat activity. More than 230 rats were caught.

Contacted today, Star Pest Control the vegetation was cleared by the HDB after the firm had withdrawn operations from the site.

In a statement, the HDB said the “bare” portion of the land is temporary, and “re-turfing” efforts are being carried out. The clearance would allow the HDB to better maintain the land, the agency said.

Shopkeepers whose shops are located near the once-infested plot of land said that rats can still be seen scurrying across their entrances from time to time. One shop assistant at a mobile phone store, who would only be identified as Mr Tan, said the situation now was not “significantly different” from before.

However, cleaner Rosli Sumbri, 55, who cleans a stretch of road along the hill on alternate days, said the situation has improved tremendously. He used to see hordes of rats running rampant in the empty land. “Now, there is [are] no more rats,” he said.

Mdm Ng Lee Teng, an administrative assistant who lives in a HDB flat opposite the hill, said she used to chance upon rats when she passed the area on her way home from work. “With the vegetation cleared, I don’t see them any more,” said Mdm Ng, 51.


Barren land at Bukit Batok not due to rat extermination: Pest controllers
Sara Grosse, Channel NewsAsia 16 Mar 15;

SINGAPORE: A significant amount of vegetation that once grew on the hill beside Bukit Batok MRT station has been cleared, about three months after it made headlines for being infested with hundred of rats.

However, the barren land is not the result of an operation to weed out rats, said pest controllers.

"I believe (authorities) are doing their so-called routine maintenance, but this time round they're doing a bit more. Actually, it comes after our exercise. They didn't want to do this earlier so as not to jeopardise the whole rodent removal exercise," said Mr Bernard Chan, general manager at Star Pest Control.

The hill had been declared "rat-free" in early January.

When contacted, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) said it was carrying out clearance to "better maintain the land". HDB said that the "bare" portion of the land is temporary as re-turfing is being carried out.

Star Pest Control said it has not discovered any new signs of rats in the area. It said the rodents could return if people do not dispose of food properly, or feed strays, providing a supply of food for the rats.

- CNA/rg

Bukit Batok's rat horror days are over
NEA says no more complaints; HDB cleared away vegetation
CAROLYN KHEW Straits Times 20 Mar 15;

After more than 300 hours of monitoring for rat movement, 20 infrared cameras deployed to track them at night and the clearing of vegetation, the Bukit Batok rat problem seems to have been solved - at least for now.

Over 230 rats were killed in a hilly area near the Bukit Batok MRT station in Bukit Batok Central, and residents say the days of rat horror are over.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said there has not been any feedback on rats at the vacant plot of land - about the size of a football field - since it was declared rat-free in January.

The Housing Board (HDB) started clearing the vegetation on the hill after the completion of rodent eradication. It did not reveal the cost of eradicating the rats.

"We are clearing the undergrowth in the forested area, as well as a few trees which are in danger of falling, so as to better maintain the land," said an HDB spokesman. "Keeping the land well-kept will minimise the recurrence of rodent infestation and facilitate the removal of hiding ground for stray dogs."

During the operation, pest controllers found about 10kg of food left for stray dogs in the area, which was said to have contributed to the rat woes.

The HDB is currently re-turfing parts of the hill. "Newly-planted vegetation will need time to grow," said the spokesman.

The Straits Times understands that the undergrowth was cleared manually. The re-turfing of grass will be completed in a few weeks. Surveillance cameras have been put near the fencing on the hill to monitor those who feed stray dogs indiscriminately.

The rat problem first came to light last December after Bukit Batok resident Ryan Keith Smith took videos and pictures of the rodents and posted them online.

Pest controllers spent the first part of the extermination process attacking the rats' nests and burrows. It involved about 30 pest controllers, who scoured the area and used infrared cameras and binoculars to track rodent activity.

Star Pest Control general manager Bernard Chan, who led the exercise, told The Straits Times the clearing of thick vegetation will make it easier to spot rats if they are still around.

Pest controllers are still monitoring the area once or twice a week for rodent activity, he added. They look out for tell-tale signs such as rat droppings, food waste and rodent nests.

"We have not detected any (rat) movement at the moment, which is a healthy sign," he said. "It's unlikely that they will return unless there's food available."

An NEA spokesman said it has stepped up inspections of the 13 NEA-licensed food shops near the area and found no infestation there.

"All the food shops have engaged licensed pest-control contractors and have also increased the frequency of the pest-control measures," the spokesman said.

"NEA has also reminded all the food handlers and food shop operators to practise proper refuse management and to properly store their food and raw ingredients at all times." These measures would help ensure no food is lying around to lure the rats back.

Residents have noted an overall improvement. They have also noticed fewer stray dogs now.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it received several dogs from the area from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority. They have been rehomed, said SPCA executive director Corinne Fong. It is not aware if the other stray dogs have moved elsewhere.

With the rats gone from the hill, residents are hoping it can become a place for all to enjoy. Said Madam Vimala Devi, 51, who is self-employed: "It would be good if something can be built, such as a jogging track."

Additional reporting by Andrea Ng

BACKGROUND STORY

Over 230
Number of rats killed in the hilly area next to Bukit Batok MRT station

30
Number of pest controllers involved

3 weeks
How long the extermination operation took

15 hours
Average length of work a day