Best of our wild blogs: 11 Feb 18

Birdwing Season in Singapore
Butterflies of Singapore

Morning Walk At Windsor Nature Park (10 Feb 2018)
Beetles@SG BLOG

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More green walkways for NParks' City in a Garden vision

Rachel Au-Yong Straits Times 10 Feb 18;

SINGAPORE - Over the course of two weeks, young plants have been growing along a walkway in Bukit Timah Road.

Though they are barely 30cm tall right now, they will eventually flower fully and cover the metal and plastic structure with greenery and flowers.

The walkway is one of 27 covered linkways which the National Parks Board (NParks) has greened.

And it plans to put up trellises on more of such walkways islandwide in the next three to five years.

This will also "improve the walking experience for commuters", NParks' streetscape group director Oh Cheow Sheng told The Straits Times.

The move is part of NParks' City in a Garden vision, which aims to make greenery more pervasive.

Pervasive greenery also mitigates the urban heat island effect, resulting in naturally cooler and more comfortable spaces, Mr Oh said.

In addition, there are ecological benefits as well, where biodiversity-attracting plants have been planted, he added.

Early efforts towards a green Singapore began in the late 1970s, when greenery was incorporated onto concrete walls of developments, guard rails and viaduct columns.

Bougainvillea adorning the sides of pedestrian overhead bridges, a common sight here, is one of the legacies of the initiative.

But since 2015, NParks has extended these efforts to more infrastructure. Low-maintenance climbers and shrubs are planted on roofs of bus shelters, along covered linkways, at MRT stations and on noise barriers.

"This allows more people to experience greenery on a daily basis during their commute," said Mr Oh.

Some examples of the plants used are the garlic vine, which produces clusters of lavender funnel-shaped blooms, and the Dutchman pipe, which produces large, reddish-purple flowers.

These require little water and pruning but flower frequently, Mr Oh said.

NParks has also worked with the Land Transport Authority to successfully pilot low-maintenance green roofs on four bus stops, similar to those in Jalan Ubi and Mandai Road.

Undergraduate Amanda Soh, 23, welcomed the move.

"I find the walkways useful but an eyesore, so putting plants on them would be a good way to help them 'blend in'," she said.

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Indonesia: Robbers steal sea turtle eggs from conservation area

N. Adri The Jakarta Post 10 Feb 18;

A group of robbers broke into a turtle egg hatchery on Sangalaki Island, Berau, East Kalimantan, and took a number of eggs.

“There were five of them and they all had machetes,” Aganto Seno, the head of Berau conservation area said on Saturday.

According to Aganto, the robbers threatened the conservationists with machetes, seized the eggs and escaped by climbing a two-meter high wall that surrounded the hatchery.

Despite efforts to protect turtles, eggs are prone to theft and often sold as food. Turtle eggs are traditionally consumed as a tonic because they are considered to have higher amounts of protein than chicken or duck eggs.

Until 2013, turtle eggs were openly sold in Kalimantan's coastal areas, especially in Banjarmasin and Kotabaru in South Kalimantan, as well as Samarinda and Berau in East Kalimantan.

The effort to conserve turtles in Kalimantan has made Sangalaki in the Derawan Islands a tourist destination. Conservationists focus on hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelis imbricata) and green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), who lay eggs on the beach every night. Conservationists relocate the eggs from the beach to the hatchery so that the baby turtles are protected from hawks, monitor lizards and poachers.

Lipu, a staff member of Berau conservation area, said the number of turtles coming to lay eggs in Sangalaki had decreased significantly in the past few decades.

“In the 1970s, every night there were hundreds of turtles coming to lay eggs. Now, 15 turtles are considered many,” he said. (gis/ahw)

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Indonesia: Four Hectares of Vacant Peatland Catch Fire in Riau

Jakarta Globe 10 Feb 18;

Jakarta. A fire engulfed four hectares of peatland in Pulau Muda, Riau, police said on Friday (09/02).

Adj. Sr. Comr. Guntur Aryo Tedjo, a spokesman for the provincial police, said a team consisting of officials from the Indonesian Military (TNI), local police and Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), as well as local residents and companies, have coordinated efforts to extinguish the fire.

"We are still working to extinguish the fire ... the latest reports is that the rage has dwindled to smoke, but we still have to be aware because there is fire on the ground," Guntur said in Pekanbaru, Riau's capital, according to state-controlled news outlet Antara.

He said the authorities utilized a firefighting helicopter, supplied by a local pulp and paper company, to assist in combating the fire. "In addition to our team on the ground, the extinguishing process involves aerial firefighters to wet the peatland with water."

Guntur added that police are still gathering information and investigating the cause of the incident.

"The burnt peatland is not occupied. We are still investigating the cause of the fire."

He said one suspect in connection with the local peat fires was arrested by the local police in early February.

The police commander urged the public and companies to avoid clearing land by fire, adding that arsonists can face prison sentences of up to 10 years and fines of up to Rp 10 billion ($735,000).

"We hope that no one will use the land by burning as the punishment is heavy. Let’s prevent land fire."

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Best of our wild blogs: 10 Feb 18

11 Feb (Sun): Registration opens for St John's Islands walk on 4 Mar (Sun)
Celebrating Singapore Shores

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AVA awards 10 land parcels to vegetable farmers with innovative concepts

Derek Wong Straits Times 9 Feb 18;

SINGAPORE - Ten vegetable farming land parcels in Lim Chu Kang have been awarded to eight companies based on their concept proposals rather than the amount they bid.

This means that the farmers did not have to worry about engaging in a price war for the land, but focused more on refining their ideas, having in mind Singapore's push for greater productivity through technological innovation and efficient use of scarce resources.

It is the first time the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has awarded a tender on such grounds, the authority said in a press statement on Friday (Feb 9). It was launched in August 2017.

The size of the plots are about 2ha each and sold for $273,000 to $317,000 with a 20-year term. They are located in Neo Tiew Lane, Neo Tiew Link and Neo Tiew Place.

There were 12 land plots put up for tender, but two remain unsold as there were no suitable proposals for them, said AVA. This land will be re-tendered.

The winning proposals feature productive and innovative farming systems. These include green houses with automation and smart controls, multi-tier hydroponic systems using LED lights and data analytics to optimise growing conditions, and multi-storey farms that use automated soil-less cultivation system and robotics.

One of the winning submissions was a joint effort by Farm deLight and KG Farm. They will be paying $288,000 for their 20,167 sq m land plot.

Farm deLight's general manager Edmund Wong, 51, is looking forward to bringing his indoor-farming methods to a bigger space. Currently housed in a 600 sq m space in Boon Lay, it uses a soil-based growing method (geoponics) and organic fertilisers, with the plants stacked in tiers.

High-tech automation and artificial lighting allow Mr Wong to control the environment's humidity and carbon dioxide composition, among other things.

He now mostly provides herbs for a niche fine-dining market via business-to-business transactions.

But with the new space, Mr Wong intends to extend the operations to produce leafy vegetables like lettuce for the mass market.

"We intend to start making sales on the new land within nine months to a year," said Mr Wong.

Eden PurelyFresh Farm, another winning tenderer, is also at the cutting edge of farming technology.

Its chief executive officer Desmond Khoo, 30, will create a "hybrid" farm on the new space, with some sections using a multi-tier system and others using hydroponics in shipping containers. The farm will also harness solar energy and collaborate with Fresh Hub Vending to continually study technological improvements to the space.

Mr Khoo said even artificial intelligence or robotics are possible add-on options in future.

He hopes to kick off full-scale operations in less than a year.

"The work starts now," he said.

Mr Melvin Chow, AVA's group director for food supply resilience, said: "These proposals have the potential to optimise scarce land, reduce reliance on unskilled labour and bolster Singapore's food security."

Concept proposals were evaluated by a Tender Evaluation Committee (TEC) comprising external experts with deep knowledge in agriculture sciences and technology, as well as relevant government agencies.

It assessed the proposals using criteria such as production capability, production track record, relevant experience and qualification of the applicant, and innovation and sustainability.

Seven of the eight successful tenderers are local companies. AVA will be tendering more land for vegetable farming in the second quarter of 2018 and from 2019.


Eight companies clinch 10 plots of land for vegetable farming
Today Online 10 Feb 18;

Two awardees are not existing local farmers, tenderers competed solely on concept

SINGAPORE — Eight companies, including two new entrants to the farming scene here, have clinched the first batch of land parcels offered by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) through a fixed-price tender method.

The AVA announced on Friday (Feb 9) that it had awarded 10 of the 12 vegetable-farming parcels in Lim Chu Kang that were launched for tender last August.

The exercise was the first time the AVA tendered out land with a fixed price upfront for interested parties to compete solely on the concept of their proposals.

Two of the 12 parcels were not awarded because there were “no suitable proposals”, and would be re-tendered in future to “provide further opportunities for productive and progressive farms”, an AVA spokesperson said.

The sites offered were about two hectares each and have 20-year leases. Prices started from S$273,000 and the tender drew 28 parties by the time it closed on Oct 26 last year.

Meod, which describes itself as a provider of “plug and play gardening solutions” on its website, clinched the most number of plots — three. The company already operates a one-hectare plot of farm at the D'Kranji Farm Resort.

The other companies clinched one parcel each.

Sunpower Grand Holdings was the only foreign firm among the eight successful tenderers. It is part of the Singapore-headquartered Sun Power Grand Holdings Group, a Taiwanese entity which manufactures opto-electronics products and has developed technology for growing hydroponic fruits and vegetables.

The successful companies incorporated productive and innovative farming systems, the AVA said. They included greenhouses with automation and smart controls, multi-tier hydroponic systems using LED lights and data analytics to optimise growing conditions, and multi-storey farms that use robotics and automated soil-less cultivation systems.

The companies were assessed on their production capability, production track record, relevant experience, and innovation and sustainability.

VERTICAL FARMING

One of the awardees, Vertivegies, intends to build nine six-storey modular structures, each measuring about 30m by 30m and resembling apartment buildings. Its founder and managing director Veera Sekaran, 55, said that vegetables would be grown on the top five stories, with the lowest storey housing pumps and control systems.

Mr Veera, who also founded an urban and vertical-greenery firm called Greenology, added that the new project would be his first large-scale commercial farming venture. Last year, he farmed vegetables using containers and discovered that each 40-foot container was able to yield about 5,000 heads of lettuce every three to four weeks.

Mr Veera, a botanist, expects to get Vertivegies’ first structure up within a year, and hopes to break even in three to five years. He plans to grow local tropical vegetables as well as “value-added varieties” such as butterhead lettuce and kale.

Without the fixed-price tender method, he said that it would be difficult to take part in the tender.

“One of the challenges in urban farming has always been land cost, especially in Singapore… It’s very difficult to grow vegetables when land prices are that high,” he said. “Getting awarded is definitely a very exciting thing. We were not expecting it (as) there were 28 tenderers.”

Mr Melvin Chow, AVA’s group director of food supply resilience, said that the winning proposals have the potential to optimise scarce land, reduce reliance on unskilled labour and bolster Singapore’s food security.

The companies are required to meet the production levels declared in their tender proposals, the authority said.

Last October, it launched the tender for the second tranche of land parcels for farm use. The three plots for farming of food fish drew five tenderers.

There will be more land tenders for vegetable farming in the second quarter of this year and from 2019 onwards.

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Raffles Place to get green spaces, cycling paths

Wendy Wong Channel NewsAsia 9 Feb 18;

SINGAPORE: The area around Raffles Place will soon become a green, more "people-friendly" zone, with a new park and cycling paths in the pipeline, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (Feb 9) at the groundbreaking ceremony for the redevelopment of Golden Shoe Car Park.

“If the original Golden Shoe was remembered as a place for cars, I hope the new Golden Shoe will become known as a place for people,” said Mr Wong. “We must enhance our streetscape and transform this area into a vibrant people-friendly zone.”

As part of the plans, a stretch of Market Street between the former Golden Shoe Car Park and Republic Plaza will be permanently closed to traffic and converted into a new public park. The space, which is about 1,000 sqm, will include a new sheltered linkway connecting Golden Shoe Car Park to the existing sheltered pedestrian network from Raffles Place MRT station.

Footpaths along Market Street, Malacca Street and Phillip Street will be widened for both pedestrians and cyclists, with greenery on the roadside. A series of sheltered linkways along Malacca Street will also provide sheltered connectivity between Raffles Place station and nearby developments.

Additionally, cycling paths will be built along these streets, connecting to upcoming cycling paths forming part of the Central Area cycling network.

Plans for the upcoming Golden Shoe Car Park were also announced at the event. These included a public atrium on the ground floor of the integrated development, which can be used for community events.

The Market Street Food Centre, which is currently operating from an interim site beside Telok Ayer station, will be located on the second and third floors of the development.

The new development will also feature a four-storey Green Oasis, comprising a “jungle gym, treetop cocoons, sky hammocks” as well as “cascading landscapes at the rooftop which will house a restaurant and Singapore’s highest urban farm”, CapitaLand said in a press release.

Facial recognition technology, sensors, Internet of Things and artificial intelligence technology will also be deployed throughout the development to “optimise user experiences and business operations”, along with robots and digital technologies to supplement cleaning and security services.

A cycling path around the development’s perimeter will be incorporated, as well as 165 bicycle lots and end-of-trip facilities for users.

The enhancement plans for Raffles Place were developed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Land Transport Authority and National Parks Board, which will work closely with CapitaLand to implement them in tandem with the redevelopment of Golden Shoe Car Park.

The integrated development is expected to be completed progressively by the first half of 2021.

Source: CNA/hs

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Number of dengue cases falls to 16-year low: NEA

Channel NewsAsia 9 Feb 18;

SINGAPORE: The number of dengue cases in 2017 was 2,772, the lowest in the last 16 years, the National Environment Agency (NEA) announced on Friday (Feb 9).

In a media release, NEA said this “relatively low number” is likely to have been facilitated by the immunity of the local population following the high number of dengue cases in the last few years.

“The low base of dengue cases at the beginning of the year due to a concerted effort by all stakeholders in response to the Zika outbreak in the second half of 2016 would also have been a factor,” said NEA.

NEA also identified the removal of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes by NEA’s network of Gravitraps deployed across the island as another contributing factor to the lower number of dengue cases.

NEA has deployed around 50,000 Gravitraps to monitor the Aedes population in Singapore. Apart from providing data to guide NEA’s efforts to focus its inspections on areas with high Aedes mosquito populations, the traps have also served to remove a large number of adult Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in 2017.

“This complemented the efforts of the community, premises owners and other stakeholders in suppressing the mosquito population,” said NEA.

CONTINUED VIGILANCE NEEDED

NEA has urged all members of the public and stakeholders to continue to prevent mosquito breeding in order to suppress the Aedes mosquito population and keep the dengue incidence low. This follows a 37 per cent increase in Aedes aegypti mosquito detection by the Gravitraps in January this year, compared to September 2017.

NEA said the current low momentum of dengue transmission offers an opportunity to disrupt the spread of the disease more effectively in the community. Community action and sustained vector control efforts are thus needed to prevent further escalation of the Aedes population and a surge in dengue cases. Such efforts will also contribute towards preventing the transmission of Zika and Chikungunya viruses, the media release added.

As the Chinese New Year festive season approaches, NEA reminds stakeholders to exercise more vigilance when spring cleaning, disposing of refuse and decorating with ornamental plants in order to avoid unintentionally creating mosquito breeding habitats. NEA also reminds those travelling overseas during the upcoming holiday period to “mosquito proof” their homes.

The latest updates on the dengue situation can be found on the NEA’s website, the Stop Dengue Now Facebook page or on the myENV app.

Source: CNA/zl

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Malaysia: Night walk in March to protect endangered turtles

The Star 9 Feb 18;

MELAKA: The public in Melaka, especially nature lovers, can support the ongoing Hawksbill turtle conservation efforts in the state by registering for the Earth Hour 2018 Night Walk here next month.

State housing, local government and environment committee chairman Datuk Wira Ismail Othman said all funds raised from the March 24 event would be channelled to World Wide Fund for Nature-Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) conservation efforts, including protecting the turtles.

He said the population of the endangered species had been shrinking from year to year despite thousands of Hawksbill baby turtles being released into the Straits of Malacca yearly after being hatched at the Turtle Conservation and Information Centre in Padang Kemunting, Masjid Tanah.

“The decline is caused, among others, by the low survival rate of the baby turtles which were released into the sea.

“For every 1,000 released, only one or two survive major threats such as predators and habitat destruction,” he said after announcing the scheduled Earth Hour 2018 Night Walk programme at Graha Makmur in Ayer Keroh.

Also present were Melaka Historic City Council (MBMB) mayor Datuk Wira Zainal Hussin, WWF-Malaysia policy and climate change head Lavanya Rama Iyer and MBMB councilor Mohd Fadhil Hassan.

Ismail said MBMB and the state Fisheries Department would continue to work closely with WWF-Malaysia in conservation efforts to protect Hawksbill turtles and its eggs.

He said marine turtles such as Hawksbill turtles played important roles in the ocean by maintaning healthy habitats for marine life and keeping a balance in the marine food web.

“If we do not start to recognise and appreciate the values turtles provide to us, the remaining turtle population will be in danger of becoming extinct,” he said.

Registration for the 2.6km Earth Hour 2018 Night Walk can be made at www.pandashop.my/earthhour2018/ before March 11 and the fee is RM65 per participant.

Registered participants will receive a walk pack comprising 100% cotton, eco-friendly Earth Hour 2018 T-Shirt and a medal made from recycled wood.

Medals will only be distributed to participants who complete the walk at the end of the Earth Hour 2018 Night Walk.

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Best of our wild blogs: 9 Feb 18

NGOs to Singapore banks: Act on climate change and stop funding coal
eco-business

Demand for sand leads to global ecological crisis
mongabay.com

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Some local F&B outlets to take shark's fin off their menu

Jan Lee The New Paper 9 Feb 18;

About 89 Singapore establishments in food and hospitality industry have decided to take shark's fin soup and other shark products off their menus over the course of this year, heeding the World Wide Fund of Nature's (WWF) call to action last year.

The decision was announced by the WWF yesterday. It is the largest collective pledge by the local industry to date.

Shark's fin, often served in a soup, is a traditional delicacy and mainstay of Chinese weddings and banquets.

The establishments can phase out shark's fin in three ways - remove it from menus, stop serving it for a trial period or remove it from menus and serve it only upon request.

The 89 establishments took either the first or third option.

Hotel group Pan Pacific, which has 34 properties and seven restaurants globally, opted for a clean break. Since Jan 1, shark's fin and other shark products have been taken off menus.

Its vice-president of food and beverage, Mr Golden Whitehead, added: "Neither will shark's fin be available upon request, as Pan Pacific Hotels Group will not sell, display or purchase shark's fin or shark products any more.

"But we will honour wedding packages with shark's fin if these were signed before Jan 1."

Local Chinese restaurant group Crystal Jade will be taking shark's fin soup off this year's Chinese New Year menu.

Shark's fin will be phased out of its main menus by July 31 and served only upon request.

Mr Douglas DeBoer, chief executive officer (CEO) of Crystal Jade Culinary Concepts, is not worried that business will take a hit.

BIG STEP FORWARD

He said: "We feel that many younger and environmentally conscious customers will appreciate and support that we have taken this big step forward."

Food delivery platform Foodpanda is also taking the plunge.

Currently, 93 of some 3,800 merchants on its platform offer shark's fin or shark products. But come next month, the items will be completely phased out of the platform's menu.

Miss Laura Kantor, Foodpanda Singapore's head of marketing and sustainability lead, said: "This is not a decision we took lightly, because we still want to work with our merchants to offer our customers choice. But we felt this was an important initiative for us to join."

Ms Elaine Tan, CEO of WWF Singapore, said: "By the time WWF reached out to them for the pledge over the past year, many of the businesses were already primed to have this discussion with us."

According to a report last year by WWF and Traffic, a wildlife-trade monitoring network, Singapore is the world's second largest shark's fin trader by value after Hong Kong, with imports standing at $65 million and exports at $50.4 million.

Some restaurants are still serving the dish.

A spokesman for Jumbo Group said: "We believe in providing customers various food options that cater to different preferences. As such, we also offer alternatives, such as fish maw soup with crab meat, to replace shark's fin soup."


More food and hospitality companies removing shark’s fin from menus
SIAU MING EN Today Online 9 Feb 18;

SINGAPORE — About 90 establishments based here will completely remove shark's fin from their menus or serve them only upon request, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said on Friday (Feb 9).

Those that have signed such commitments with the non-profit conservation organisation for the year ahead include food delivery firm Foodpanda, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Crystal Jade Culinary Concepts Holding and AccorHotels.

"This move signals a collective effort by the food and beverage industry to address the serious threat that shark fishing poses," the WWF said in its press release.

Based on figures from global environmental network the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, a quarter of sharks and rays are facing extinction. A separate study in 2013 estimated that about 100 million sharks are killed each year globally, driven by the demand for shark's fins and meat.

Yet, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan remain top importers of shark's fin. Singapore alone imported 14,134 tonnes and exported 11,535 tonnes of shark's fin between 2005 and 2013, based on a report released by wildlife monitoring network Traffic and WWF last year.

WWF chief executive officer Elaine Tan said that sharks help maintain balance in ocean ecosystems and keep fish populations healthy. The collapse of shark populations will eventually affect access to seafood, a crucial source of protein for people in Singapore.

Referring to its Singapore Shark Fin Consumer Survey in 2016, which found that eight out of 10 Singaporeans have stopped ordering shark's fin, Ms Tan said that the move by the F&B sector will further shut down that demand.

"This commitment by F&B establishments is crucial to saving sharks and the ecosystems that depend on them. As sustainable options do not exist for sharks, halting consumer demand is the only solution today," she added.

To clamp down on the sale of shark's fin this year, the establishments may choose to completely remove shark's fin from their menus and set a policy against serving this food item — which was what 44 out of the 89 establishments committed themselves to doing.

Likewise, they may remove shark's fin from their menus and serve it only when requested or on a case-by-case basis, which was what the remaining 45 establishments pledged to do.

Establishments may also choose to stop serving shark's fin for a trial period of time.

LARGEST COLLECTIVE PLEDGE TO DATE

Since WWF's efforts to get Singapore's food and hospitality industries to take action to phase out shark products a year ago, this number has grown from 16 to 89 establishments in the past year.

This is WWF's largest collective pledge by the industries here to date, though the list is non-exhaustive.

Ms Tan said that customer demand has been the primary reason why these establishments have taken the pledge. From WWF's discussions with chefs, sales teams and upper management of these businesses, these pledges reflect the strong public support here for the removal of shark products, she added.

Environmental issues related to consumption of shark meat and fins are not new among consumers in Singapore and abroad. About 18,000 hotels worldwide have removed and banned shark's fin from their menus, she said.

"As (this) movement picks up across the world, we see a greater willingness by businesses to take action on this important issue," she added.

Starting March 5, Foodpanda will remove shark-based dishes from the menus of the restaurants listed on its platforms.

Its head of marketing and sustainability lead Laura Kantor said that 93 out of 3,800 restaurants on the platform serve shark's fin and less than 1 per cent of total orders include shark's fin.

"While the number may seem insignificant, due to the large volume of orders Foodpanda receives, this is a sizable number," she added.

NO MORE SALES OR ORDERS

Since the start of the year, the 34 properties and seven restaurants around the world under the Pan Pacific Hotels Group — which is based here — have stopped serving shark's fin. They will not be available upon request and the group will not sell, display or buy shark's fin or shark products anymore.

Previously, shark's fin was served at the group's Chinese restaurants and was available on wedding menus. The group will, however, continue to honour wedding packages with shark's fin if these were signed before Jan 1.

Its vice-president of food and beverage Golden Whitehead said that guests have been generally open and are not insistent on being served shark's fin. The restaurants would also offer alternatives to those who do ask for shark's fin, such as bird's nest soup and sea cucumber.

Crystal Jade Culinary Concepts Holding will remove shark's fin dishes from its Chinese New Year set menus. From Jul 31, it will also remove shark's fin from the menus of its 28 restaurants.

The group's chief executive Douglas DeBoer said that the commitment is part of its corporate initiative to become a more socially and environmentally responsible business.

The company is confident that the move will improve customers' perceptions and lead them to patronise its restaurants more often. In addition, many younger and environmentally conscious customers will appreciate and be supportive that it has taken this big step forward, he added.

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AVA removes crows, nests in Toa Payoh after attacks on residents

Ng Huiwen Straits Times 8 Feb 18;

SINGAPORE - The authorities have stepped in to manage the crow population in Toa Payoh this week after attacks on residents.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) told The Straits Times on Thursday (Feb 8) that it had received two reports of crow attacks near Block 205, Toa Payoh North, since Monday.

"To ensure public safety, AVA took prompt follow up action to manage the crow population by removing crows and crow nests," the authority said.

A 55-year-old hairdresser, who gave her name as Xu Jinli, told Chinese-language newspaper Shin Min Daily News on Thursday that crows are often seen in the area.

However, groups of them have recently become aggressive and repeatedly harassed residents, she said.

Ms Xu said at least 30 passers-by were attacked by crows within two hours on Thursday afternoon.

Several were bitten on their heads.

While there is a sign displayed in the estate to warn residents against feeding the crows, Ms Xu said that she has noticed that some people giving them bread and other food items.

The AVA said crows are particularly protective of their young and may attack when the fledglings are in the nest or when they sense that the fledglings are being threatened.

The AVA advised the public to "avoid picking up crow fledglings that may have fallen from the nests, as they might be mistaken for predators".

In addition, the public should ensure proper food waste disposal and not feed the birds.

"Easily available food sources will encourage birds to congregate and result in an increase in their numbers," the AVA said.

Crow-related issues can be reported to the AVA on 1800 476 1600.

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