Woman injured and taken to hospital after encounter with wild boar in Punggol

SINGAPORE - A woman was taken to hospital after she was injured by a wild boar in Punggol on Tuesday afternoon (Aug 28).

The incident happened near Punggol Secondary School. The school is located a few bus stops away from a forested area which is being cleared for development.

The Straits Times understands that the woman injured is an employee of the school, and that she suffered lacerations.

The wild boar was later found in a nearby executive condominium and was captured by staff from the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres).

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said that it responded to a call for medical assistance at around 5.15pm at 51 Edgefield Plains.

The woman in her 30s was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

Mr Kalai Vanan, Acres' deputy chief executive, told ST that the society received a call at about 5pm from the Punggol area.

"To our knowledge, the boar subsequently entered a condominium where it found itself stranded," he said, adding that Acres responded to the case, and sedated and relocated the wild boar.

ST understands that the condominium is Waterbay executive condominium.

Mr Kalai also said that the wild boar was most likely from Lorong Halus. Lorong Halus is a wetland located along the eastern bank of Serangoon Reservoir.

While the reasons why the boar was roaming around an urban area are unknown, Mr Kalai said that development works might be to blame.

"Feeding by people may have had a part to play in causing the animal to venture out as well," he said.

Wild boar sightings in Punggol have become more common in recent years.

ST reported in August 2016 that sightings of the animals there had doubled to 24 from the previous year, according to data from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority.

The authorities recommended that members of the public stay calm and move slowly away if they encounter a wild boar.

Do not approach or attempt to feed it. Keep a safe distance and do not corner or provoke the animal, for instance by using a flash while taking its picture.

Female wild boars are very protective of their young and can easily be provoked.

If you see adults with young piglets, leave them alone. These are potentially more dangerous because they may feel the need to defend their young.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.