‘Sad and inhumane’: Yislum resident finds nearly 30 pigeons, most of them dead, lying near HDB blocks

[The_King]

SINGAPORE - Close to 30 pigeons, many of them dead or unconscious, were found on grass patches and in the common areas between Block 436 and Block 438 in Yishun Avenue 11 on the evening of May 22.

A Yishun resident, who wanted to be known only as Ms Aishah, said some of the birds were struggling, flapping their wings while on the ground.

Ms Aishah, 28, also spotted children playing near the area at around 6pm that day, when she was on the way to pick up her younger brother from school.

 

The pigeons were still there when she went back to check four hours later at 10pm.

“This is my first time seeing dead pigeons in the area,” said Ms Aishah.

She contacted the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres), which arrived at the scene within the hour.

 

 

“It’s very sad and inhumane to see not just a few but about 20 dead birds lying around where people are walking, some with their pets, and with stray cats and children around. It’s not safe,” said Ms Aishah, who is an administrative executive.

 

“Some of the kids who were playing where the birds were found were very young, maybe less than four years old.”

An e-mail sent to Ms Aishah from a Nee Soon Town Council representative said there was a “scheduled pigeon treatment” on May 22, which was done to manage the pigeon population as it has caused hygiene problems and inconveniences to residents.

The e-mail, seen by The Straits Times, stated that cleaners would usually be present during and after the treatment to clear the carcasses. It added that the town council was “disheartened” to hear that the cleanup was not done in time. It did not mention how it manages the pigeon population.

 

The town council representative added that cleaners were given a verbal warning to be more alert during such operations so that missed carcasses do not pose a danger.

Acres co-chief executive Anbarasi Boopal told ST that 20 pigeons were found dead when the non-profit’s wildlife rescue team arrived last Monday night, while seven others were taken in and treated by the team.

The birds were observed to be twitching and having tremors, eyes closed and unable to walk or stand properly, said Ms Anbarasi, who added that this aligns with the effects of a drug called alpha-chloralose (AC), which can be used to cull birds.

“It makes the birds lose their ability to control body temperature, or defend themselves from danger by flying away or moving,” said Ms Anbarasi.

“Many times, we have observed these birds falling prey to other animals, or drowning in drains or canals, or dying from being cold for too long.”

Some of the birds that were still alive upon the wildlife rescue team's arrival were put in a cage. PHOTO: MS AISHAH

Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann told Parliament in 2021 that the National Parks Board (NParks) had been working with town councils to encourage them to move away from the use of toxins and to adopt animal control measures and practices that are humane and safe.

Yet Acres has rescued over 1,000 poisoned birds in the past two years, noted Ms Anbarasi.

The non-profit has also been reaching out to town councils since 2020 to end the use of AC for pigeon control, as it is not only inhumane and ineffective, but it also works indiscriminately on any animal consuming it, said Ms Anbarasi.

She added that AC could be mixed into food bait fed to the pigeons, as the rescue team has observed rice and bread being tossed to the birds by control operators.

“While we are glad there are additional efforts such as the tray-return policy by the National Environment Agency and intensive prominent educational signs on pigeon feeding by some town councils, we hope more measures are put in place to bring the pigeon population down effectively, using the food-reduction approach and ending feeding by residents,” said Ms Anbarasi.

“Culling them without reducing food sources will cause an increase in population, as more food will be available for fewer pigeons to breed successfully.”

Acres has reached out to Nee Soon Town Council to better understand the issue and hopes to conduct site visits in the future, added Ms Anbarasi.

 

In response to queries from ST, NParks group director of wildlife management Adrian Loo said the agency works with town councils to manage the pigeon population.

“This includes encouraging alternative humane practices such as trapping for population management operations, and encouraging animal management companies to send employees for wildlife management training courses conducted by NParks,” said Dr Loo.

“Rock pigeons are not native to Singapore and are an invasive species that compete with our native species,” he said Dr Loo. “Their droppings dirty the environment and cause disamenities such as the soiling of clothes.”

Dr Loo added that the agency takes a science-based approach towards the management of invasive bird species. This includes active population control such as trapping and culling, removal of human food sources, habitat modification such as targeted tree pruning, and undertaking studies to understand the ecology of pest birds.

NParks also works with town councils and other agencies to reduce food sources for pigeons such as by tackling high-rise littering and managing waste at food establishments, said Dr Loo.

ST has contacted Nee Soon Town Council for comment.

[socrates469bc]

if one day yishun no appear on xin min, limpeh really worry liao.

 

[The_King]

@Bigbird

 

[Bigbird]

@The_King

 

Its the same lah when you think about why sinkies are forced to take C19 mrna vax!!  Most sinkies are frogs in a well! 

 

Pigeons = Sinkies

 

Remember this term? Preexisting conditions!

 

 

Lesson learned: If you are not at the top of the ivory tower, you are nobody!

 

[The_King]

1 hour ago, Bigbird said:

@The_King

 

Its the same lah when you think about why sinkies are forced to take C19 mrna vax!!  Most sinkies are frogs in a well! 

 

Pigeons = Sinkies

 

Remember this term? Preexisting conditions!

 

 

Lesson learned: If you are not at the top of the ivory tower, you are nobody!

 

They force me to take, no take no job, heng I take sino

 

 

It me that time no job I will not even take

 

 

And heng I am poor sinkes, I follow my way.

 

Stupid doc, knn. 10.8 is normal

 

If it normal why above 10mmol kidney release sugar into the urine

 

That normal????

 

Hope she get karma for harming ppl life

 

 

Anyway, the sinkies u say one.  Dont know they so native

 

I told them AC material manufacturer say get 21 and ac vendor say 22 is enough.

 

All follow vendor get 22

 

 

I counter all of them with fact, black and white, ac vendor blackface don't even want my money

Normal sinkies I counter with same fact, tried to ignore, change subject or act blur

 

All useful idiot.

 

To get the 21 I wanted, I lie to them saying I do concealing, so they nv ask anymore

 

Sinkies love hearing lie instead of the true

Edited June 2, 2023 by The_King