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Finding a wild boar can make anyone’s heart race.
Last weekend, a group of cyclists in Pulau Ubin squealed with excitement after a wild boar approached them.
In a video clip circulating on social media, the animal can be seen snooping around a woman’s bicycle basket as they parked their bicycles at Chek Jawa Wetlands.
“Misaki’s things [in the basket]… As? Do you want to throw away the food ah? He asked as his companions screamed.
When the wild boar stood up on its hind legs to reach the basket, the cyclist tried to block the animal using her bicycle.
But the animal managed to snatch the food with its snout.
He even scattered some of his loot (curry puffs) on the ground as he disappeared into the dense foliage, much to the amusement of the group.
https://www.facebook.com/TrishaMermaid/posts/10158325546632702
The cyclist realized that the animal was behind the curry puffs sitting in the basket of her bike, but it was too late to remove them at that point, she explained in a Facebook post on Sunday (November 22).
“As this was not my first encounter with a wild boar, I kept calm and used the bicycle as a barrier, with good intentions, so as not to hurt the boar,” wrote Trisha Yuen Thow.
He also noticed that the animal was only hungry and was not aggressive.
Despite the shock, both humans and animals escaped the encounter unharmed, the woman said, adding that the garbage was also removed from the scene.
In his post, he urged visitors not to bring food. If they do, they should pack them properly so that the smell doesn’t attract wild animals.
Dangerous encounters
But not all boar encounters end on a joyous note.
[[nid:509779]]Last Tuesday (November 17), a 50-year-old woman taking a night walk home from Sungei Api Api Park ended up in hospital after a wild boar attack.
She was knocked down by the animal and sustained facial injuries, as well as a 10 cm long wound on her left leg that exposed the bone.
In 2018, a pregnant woman in her 30s suffered deep cuts to her right calf after an attack by a wild boar. She was walking towards a bus stop in Punggol when the animal attacked her from behind.
Similarly, an elderly woman visiting Pulau Ubin fell and broke her hip in 2012 after a wild boar attacked her and knocked her down.
She was there for a group outing when a wild boar with two piglets approached them, The New Paper reported. The group had taken photos and even fed the animals before the attack.
What to do when you meet a wild boar
Wild boar, a native Singaporean animal, can weigh up to 100kg. They are strong animals that can run relatively fast, and the canines of an adult male are capable of inflicting serious injuries when attacking.
If members of the public come across wild boars, they should keep a safe distance, stay calm and walk away slowly, the National Parks Board (NParks) said in a notice.
They should not feed the wild boars, as this could cause the animals to associate humans with food and therefore get close to them.
In particular, wild boar females with piglets should be avoided, as the animals are very protective of their young.
