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ACRES: Removal of wildlife not the solution, science-based approaches should be considered in handling human-wildlife issues

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4 years ago

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The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) in a Facebook post on Monday (23 November) raised several concerns regarding the recent public survey on the management of wildlife, including regulating the wildlife population.

In its post, titled “Should wildlife stay or go? – science or opinions matter?”, ACRES first asked if wildlife should be managed based on public opinion only.

ACRES cited the Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, who shared during a human-wildlife conflict conference in 2019 that Singaporeans have to expect the increase of frequency of human-wildlife interactions and conflict as their homes are built next to many of their natural areas.

As such, the animal management strategies with a science-based approach can help them design more targeted and effective interventions to mitigate the human-wildlife conflicts, it said, citing Mr Lee.

The next concern ACRES raised was in response to a question it asked residents on regulating wildlife population, which seems contrary to the plan of turning Singapore into a biophilic city.

“When we ask residents if they are okay with “regulating the numbers”, what does that mean? Have scientific studies proved that we have an overpopulation of roosters and wild pigs?

The ACRES also addressed concerns about what will happen to wild animals if they are relocated or removed.

“Most often, it is proven that removal is not a solution as we enhance habitats more, green the spaces and fragment habitats through development,” it noted, referring to ACRES’s past experience of handling cases involving wildlife in distress, human-wildlife interactions, and other rescue or mitigation measures.

It continued, “Removal or reduction of the population (through humane measures first) should only be considered if there are studies to prove that we have an overpopulation and analyses to show what is the carrying capacity to which the population needs to be managed.”

Acknowledging that there is a wild boar problem in Pasir Ris, the group reasoned that “different developments have fragmented their habitats” and “feeding of wild boars in Pasir Ris and Lor Halus have made these boars associate humans with food”.

It thus suggested that stronger enforcement is needed on the feeding ban — otherwise, “at the end of the day, only the animals pay the price being labelled as ‘aggressive’, removed and culled.”

Clearing forests inevitably displaces animals

Before ending its post, ACRES also cautioned that “clearing forests inevitably displaces animals”.

“Site-specific measures alone are insufficient … As a small island, we have to look at the bigger picture, at connectivity around the site.

“This requires planning at an early level (master planning) and inter-agency collaborations to prioritize these issues compared to placing focus only on people’s needs. (housing, transport and amenities),” it said.

“As ACRES and other nature groups are being progressively engaged by agencies on nature-themed developments, we also have to ask ourselves – are we, as a community truly ready to embrace all wildlife as biodiversity? Are we truly empowered with knowledge on wildlife etiquette when we sight wild animals? Or are we only excited about flowers, birds and butterflies?” ACRES added.

ACRES’ article followed media reports on a 50-year-old woman being attacked by a wild boar at Sungei Api Api Park on 17 November.

The incident happened around 9.30pm and the woman was with her husband at the park off Pasir Ris Drive 3 when a wild boar charged at her and knocked her down.

As a result, she suffered lacerations on her left leg and face.

Following this incident, a survey called Survey on Wild Animals in Pasir Ris was initiated by Pasir Ris West Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC) to ask the residents’ opinions specifically on wild chickens, stray dogs and wild boars, as well as an additional category for “other wild animals”.

They were asked to choose from three options on what should be done about each group.

The first was to let them continue roaming freely. The second was to let them roam freely but with controlled numbers. The last option was to remove or relocate all such animals from the area.

The survey is opened to the residents from 22 November to 6 December 2020.

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Animals

House fire in Penang claims lives of 14 pet dogs, owner devastated

A house fire in Penang claimed the lives of 14 pet dogs, leaving the owner in deep grief. A viral TikTok video captured the tragedy, as the owner shared the emotional and financial toll of the incident, with the cause of the fire still under investigation.

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3 weeks ago

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20 September 2024

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PENANG, MALAYSIA: A tragic house fire in Tanjung Bungah, Penang has claimed the lives of 14 pet dogs, leaving the owner mourning the loss of his beloved animals.

A viral TikTok video captured the heart-wrenching aftermath, showing the owner’s grief as he recounted the devastating incident.

@maheswaranmuthiah

The worst tragedy in my life. My house burnt to ashes. 😭😭😭. Everything gone within an hour. I lost about 20k cash, training materials, banners, 2 professional dslr camera and equipments, commercial cooking equipments, commercial makeup learning equipments, canopy, mannequins, TV, blueray player, 2 hp, 3 laptops, my son’s ipad Pro 10, 1 pc, about 6 hardisks, 10 thumb drives, memory cards, 1 coffee machine, 1 coffee maker, letrik piano, exercise equipment, almost thousands of new and preloved novels, self development books, recipe books, IT Books, Law & Legal Books, skills development related to photography, makeup, tattoo, cooking, massage, entrepreneurship and etc books, 2 industrial fan, chiller, freezer, about 100+ academic/ appreciation certificates, reference letters, evaluation, recognition, modeling clothes, costumes, lingerie, 10 coat/ blazers, bags of ties, my business stocks like bliese perfume, air fresher, skincare product, toys, souvenirs, F&B, all my personal photo albums and belongings including all our clothes, puzzles, furnitures, book shelf, son’s toys and belongings, meditation/ yoga mate, crystals, rudraksha, grass cutting machine, water pressure pump, air purifier, water purifier, some jewelry, public gold coins and lots more…. But the worst of all is the lost of my 14 furrykids. My most precious children. All that I mentioned above is something I could rebuilt and recover. That I have to do for my 1 and only human son. But his siblings, my 14 children that perish in this unfortunate incident will not come back. This is an unbearable and unforgettable pain that will remain till the end of my life. 😭😭😭😭😭. An endless suffering in silent pain for me. 😭😭😭😭. #maheswaran #maheswaranmuthiah #furrykids #penang #malaysia #tragedy #crowdfund #pmx #chiefminister #chowkonyeow

♬ original sound – maheswaran – maheswaran

The fire allegedly occurred while the family was out for dinner, with no one present at home to rescue the pets.

The owner in response to concerning TikToker questions, speculated that the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit, but authorities have yet to confirm the exact cause, which remains under investigation.

In addition to the emotional toll, the fire also resulted in significant financial losses, with over RM20,000 (approximately US4,777) in cash and valuables destroyed.

“Everything was burnt to ashes within an hour,” the owner lamented.

While the dogs were not confined in cages, they were trapped inside the house, and despite neighbors being nearby, they were unable to intervene.

Firefighters on the scene advised bystanders to stay clear due to the risk of explosions.

The viral TikTok video has garnered widespread attention, with many netizens expressing their condolences and shock over the tragedy.

Comments on the post were filled with support, with some users reflecting on the irreplaceable loss of the pets and offering words of comfort.

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Animals

Panda knocks down zookeeper in Chongqing zoo, both unharmed

A panda named Ding Ding knocked down a zookeeper at Chongqing Zoo on 19 September, sparking concern after a video surfaced online. Both the caretaker and the panda were unharmed, and the zoo has continued normal operations.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

20 September 2024

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CHINA: On Thursday (19 September), a social media user shared a video showing a giant panda named Ding Ding (丁丁) knocking down a zookeeper at Chongqing Zoo.

In response to inquiries, zoo staff confirmed that both the zookeeper and the 9-year-old panda were unharmed and that Ding Ding continues to be exhibited as usual.

The video, circulated on Chinese social media platform Weibo, shows a zookeeper noticing that Ding Ding was attempting to escape through a partially open gate. The zookeeper rushed to close the gate, which produced a loud noise.

However, the gate wasn’t fully secured, and Ding Ding can be seen trying to open it again.

Visitors alerted the zookeeper, who rushed back to shut the gate.

This action seemingly agitated the panda, who then turned its attention toward the zookeeper.

During a brief chase, Ding Ding knocked down the zookeeper.

In the footage, some visitors can be heard advising others to stay calm and avoid shouting.

This is not the first such incident at the zoo.

In April 2024, another panda knocked over another zookeeper.

The zoo’s management reported that on 23 April, at around 2:00 PM, a zookeeper was guiding two pandas, Yu Ke (渝可) and Yu Ai (渝爱), to a feeding area when they chased and knocked the zookeeper down.

Fortunately, neither the zookeeper nor the pandas were injured.

Following that event, the zoo held a safety meeting and implemented stricter feeding protocols to prevent similar incidents.

Chongqing Zoo is home to 23 giant pandas.

According to Chongqing Daily, the panda enclosure, which has undergone three rounds of expansion and renovation, now covers nearly 20,000 square meters and is one of the earliest panda breeding centers in China.

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