Boy chased, hurt in wild boar incident in Punggol

He's taken to hospital after chase by wild boar, woman spots wild boar in the same area
DARRYL LAIU, NG JUN SEN The New Paper 31 May 16;

A boy was hurt after he was chased by a wild boar on Sunday afternoon in Punggol.

The incident happened at about 2.15pm near Block 184 in Edgefield Plains.

The boy was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital in an ambulance, a Singapore Civil Defence Force spokesman said.

When The New Paper approached the boy's father at his flat yesterday, he declined to comment other than to say the boy is at home and feeling better.

Stomp contributor Ferlyn posted a video of a wild boar in the vicinity of Block 106B in Edgefield Plains on the citizen journalism website yesterday.

She said she was in a lorry at about 3.30pm on Sunday when she came across the animal.

Her husband, who was driving, followed the animal for about two minutes as it raced down the middle of the two-lane road.

It then ran up the pavement and into a housing estate.

It is unclear where the animal went and whether it is the same wild boar that chased the boy.

TNP asked residents in the area if they had seen the wild boar on Sunday afternoon.

While there have been reports of wild boar sightings, none of the residents said they had seen the wild boar.

Officials from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) are conducting control operations in Punggol.

This is in response to reports of wild boar sightings in the area, its spokesman told TNP yesterday.

"Members of the public who encounter wild boars should stay calm and not approach the animal," the spokesman added.

OPERATIONS

Last year, an AVA spokesman said it has been conducting operations in the area after reports of wild boars and wild dogs at a field close to Edgefield Plains.

According to a joint advisory by AVA, National Parks Board and Wildlife Reserves Singapore, wild boars are native here and their quick reproductive rates mean they are increasingly spotted all over the island.

Wild boars primarily feed on seeds, tubers and young plants.

"The increase in the population of wild boars may result in a higher frequency of human-wild boar conflict," said the advisory.

"Although they appear shy, they are still wild animals and are unpredictable in behaviour which could pose a risk to public safety."

It warns that wild boars can attack if they are cornered or feel threatened. Their speed, sharp teeth and solid build can result in "serious injuries in case of an attack" and are "particularly dangerous when involved in car accidents".

The advisory gives three tips to avoid injury:

Be calm and move slowly away from the animal. Do not approach or attempt to feed the animal.
Keep a safe distance and do not corner or provoke the animal. For example, do not use a flash to take a picture of it.
If you see adults with piglets, leave them alone. They are potentially more dangerous as they may attempt to defend their young.
Incidents involving wild boars

April 21, 2016

A 49-year-old motorcyclist was thrown several metres after he crashed into a wild boar on the Seletar Expressway.

The accident, which happened at about 8.30pm, killed the wild boar.

The motorcyclist was taken to hospital where he was treated for abrasions and pain in his right shoulder.

June 17, 2015

Sightings of wild boars and wild dogs in Edgefield Plains in Punggol were reported to the Agri-food and Vetinary Authority Singapore.

Some residents reportedly carried wooden sticks to defend themselves against the animals.

Nov 30, 2013

Five wild boar piglets were rescued by a man from a drain in the Thomson area.

The resident of Springleaf estate found the piglets stranded on a ledge in the drain after a heavy downpour.

The piglets were subsequently released on a wild boar trail in Mandai forest.

Sept 16, 2012

A 64-year-old woman fell and broke her hip when a wild boar charged at her during an outing to Pulau Ubin.

The woman was on an excursion with a group who were reportedly taking pictures and feeding the animals. One of the boars charged at her from behind, causing her to fall.

She was taken to hospital.

Sept 5, 2012

A wild boar was killed when it was hit by a car at Upper Thomson Road.

The driver said the animal had dashed out suddenly from the bushes at the side of the road. His car was dented in the accident.

June 22, 2012

A five-year-old boy and a Cisco officer were injured in a wild boar attack at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park.

The animal reportedly rammed into the boy and knocked down the patrolling officer, who hurt his hand in the fall.


Boy hurt by wild boar in Punggol discharged from hospital
Lee Min Kok, My Paper AsiaOne 1 Jun 16;

A BOY who was taken to hospital after a wild boar reportedly chased and injured him in Punggol has returned home.

The boy, whose age is unknown, was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital on Sunday after the Singapore Civil Defence Force was alerted to an incident at Block 184 Edgefield Plains at 2.17pm and dispatched an ambulance.

However, it was not clear what injuries the boy suffered.

When approached at his flat on Monday, the boy's father would only say that his son had returned home and was feeling better, reported The New Paper.

Meanwhile, several people also said they spotted the creature in the neighbourhood.

A Facebook post by user Joanne Wan on Sunday night claimed that a wild boar about 1m in size had been spotted at the same block.

"It was last seen fleeing near Meridian LRT," she added.

A wild boar was also sighted in the vicinity by a contributor to citizen journalism website Stomp at around 3.30pm on the same day. She said the animal had dashed in front of a lorry she was in, near Block 106B.

In response to queries, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said it had received feedback on wild boar sightings in the Punggol area and was conducting control operations.

"Members of the public who encounter wild boars should stay calm and not approach the animal," said a spokesman.

The presence of wild boars in the area is not new.

Last year, residents of Edgefield Plans also complained to the AVA regarding wild boars, with some even resorting to carrying wooden sticks to defend themselves.

A recent joint advisory by the AVA, National Parks Board (NParks) and Wildlife Reserves Singapore states that the wild boar is native to Singapore. It can weigh up to 100kg and has a lifespan of over 20 years.

The advisory said the animals are increasingly spotted all over the island in recent years, due to their quick reproduction rates, presence of ideal foraging habitats and the lack of natural predators.

"Although they appear shy, they are still wild animals and are unpredictable in behaviour which could pose a risk to public safety," the advisory said.

"Like many other wild animals, wild boars will only attack if they are cornered or if they feel threatened."

The three tips when one encounters wild boars are:

Be calm and move slowly away from the animal. Do not approach or attempt to feed the animal;

Keep a safe distance and do not corner or provoke the animal, such as using a flash while taking pictures of it;

If you see adults with young piglets, leave them alone. These are potentially more dangerous because they may attempt to protect their young.