[ad_1]
The National Park Board (NParks) told Stomp that a recent crow slaughter exercise on Desker Road came after they were alerted to crow attacks in the area.
Stomper Anonymous alerted Stomp to the debris removal exercise near Block 642 Desker Road on Tuesday (May 12) at approximately 9 am.
“I heard gunshots along Jalan Besar and saw two officers near Block 642 Desker Road shooting three or four crows,” he said.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when I saw them picking up the dead crows and still looking at the trees for more.”
The incident concerned the Stomper who felt this was a form of animal cruelty.
“Friends told me that crows can spread disease and maybe it was because residents complained, but they are still lives.”
She added that she didn’t have her phone with her at the time, but then she returned to the scene and took pictures of crow feathers on the ground.
Mr How Choon Beng, director of NParks, clarified with Stomp that domestic crows (or Corvus splendens) are not native and are an invasive species in Singapore.
“Management of invasive bird species requires a holistic and science-based approach, incorporating the elimination of food sources, habitat modification, population control strategies such as slaughter, and studies to understand the ecology of the bird population, such as their resting patterns and movements, “he said.
“NParks was alerted to attacks by crows in the area.
“Due to public safety concerns, urgent action was required.
“We surveyed the area and found that the most feasible approach was to remove the crows and their nests.
“Eliminating nests will make crows less territorial and minimize attacks.”
Mr. How added that such removal operations are strictly regulated and only carried out by trained Auxiliary Police Officers (APO).
“The teams that perform such work include security officers, and security assessments are always carried out beforehand to ensure they are at a safe distance and are not in front of buildings and people,” he said.
“House crows are particularly protective of their young (rookies) and can attack when rookies are in the nest or when they feel rookies are threatened.
“Therefore, we recommend that the public avoid picking up chicks that may have fallen from nests, as they could be mistaken for predators.”
“At the same time, the public can help mitigate the growth of the bird population and congregation by not feeding them properly and disposing of leftovers.
“This is also to safeguard public health.
“Leftovers can attract other pests, such as rats, that transmit disease and pose a risk to public health.”
