'Both cases likely result of accidents': NParks addresses concerns over community cat deaths

'Both cases likely result of accidents':  NParks addresses concerns over community cat deaths
Director for Enforcement & Investigation at National Parks Board (NParks) Joshua Teoh addressing the media on Tuesday (June 3).
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Rauf Khan

The National Parks Board (NParks) has said that the recent deaths of community cats in Punggol and Yishun could be the result of road accidents, not deliberate acts of animal cruelty.

One cat was found at Yishun Street 51 and the other at Block 326B Sumang Walk, Punggol.  

At a briefing to the media on Tuesday (June 3), Director for Enforcement & Investigation at National Parks Board (NParks), Joshua Teoh said that a post-mortem investigation which was carried out on the cat carcass in Yishun showed no evidence of penetrating, sharp force injuries or wounds.

"When the injuries are considered as a whole, a vehicular impact is the most likely cause of the blunt force traumatic injuries," he added. 

King Kong was discovered dead at Yishun Street 51 with gruesome injuries inflicted. 

This incident is one of several recent cases involving the deaths of community cats in HDB estates.  

In May, a cat named Shere Khan was found with severe injuries near Block 326B Sumang Walk in Punggol. 

It was taken to a private veterinary clinic for care by NParks upon notification. 

Teoh added that after the cat's microchip was traced, the community cat caregiver was informed to contact the clinic for the follow up.

Subsequently, an animal welfare group representative decided to euthanise the cat and it was not sent for a post-mortem.

The cat's body was collected by a community cat caregiver, and cremated.

The veterinary report from the private veterinary clinic that had treated the injured feline noted the cat's condition and injuries, which included proptosis and lesions on the head.

The report included the assessment that "these lesions and findings are usually suggestive of blunt trauma to the head, and the possible common cause is traffic accident".

NParks also added that there were attempts to review CCTV footage from multiple cameras in the vicinity, but none captured any footage of how the cat sustained its injuries. 

A veterinarian and a scientist from the Animal & Veterinary Service demonstrate the processes involved in conducting a post-mortem examination. 
​​​​PHOTO: AsiaOne/Rauf Khan

Last week, another male community cat, Sunshine, was found dead next to a bin in Tampines West with signs of blunt force trauma and a dislocated jaw. 

"NParks has since established that Traffic Police (TP) officers had attended to a traffic incident involving a car and a community cat earlier that day. The TP officers moved the cat's body to the void deck as it was likely to pose a safety hazard to other road users and to prevent other vehicles from running over the cat's body," said Teoh. 

Subsequently, a member of the public came across the cat’s body and reported the case to NParks. 

NParks noted that there will be no further action taken for this case as the driver of the car had reported the accident to the police. 

The media was also taken on a tour of the Animal and Plant Health Centre at Lim Chu Kang for an in-depth explanation of how the post-mortem processes are carried out.

Dr Charlene Judith Fernandez, group director for the Professional & Scientific Services at NParks, said that veterinarians use a range of specialised equipment during post-mortem examinations and field investigations, including a microchip scanner to identify if the cat has been microchipped which provides crucial information. 

"Remember, the post-mortem can only tell you so much. A lot of it, hopefully can be explained by the deeper processes under a microscopic analysis," she said. 

NParks said it would like to assure the public that it takes feedback on alleged animal cruelty seriously and will investigate them thoroughly, including looking at any new evidence presented.

It is conducting a review of the Animals and Birds Act with stakeholders, which includes a review to increase penalties, such as fines, imprisonment terms and disqualification orders to ensure effective deterrence against animal welfare offences. 

Under the Animals and Birds Act, first-time offenders convicted of animal cruelty can be jailed for up to 18 months, fined up to $15,000, or both.

Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $30,000, or both. 

Read Also
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Punggol cat death: Town council, NParks and animal welfare groups will work to raise awareness, says DPM Gan

xingying.koh@asiaone.com

For more original AsiaOne articles, visit here.

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