Harmless or nuisance? Yio Chu Kang residents divided over NParks contractors capturing wild chickens in estate

Several residents in Yio Chu Kang are crying fowl over the authorities removing wild chickens in their neighborhood.

Others, who are annoyed by the birds crowing at ungodly hours, are happy to see them go.

A Facebook video on the Singapore Wildlife Sightings group showed contractors from the National Parks Board (NParks) setting traps at a park along Cactus Road.

Kan Shik Kiong, who posted the clip on Thursday (Oct 9), said that the authorities were acting on residents' complaints.

The video has since garnered over 300 comments and 37,000 views.

Following that, a Shin Min Daily News reporter saw three chickens roaming around the park; however, there were no traps.

Several residents living in the vicinity told the Chinese evening daily that the birds are harmless.

Tang, 72, the vice-chairman of a neighbourhood committee, said: "These chickens come out at around 7am every day, and fly up to the trees to roost at night.

"They are not like monkeys that will enter residential areas, so we don't think it's right to catch them."

Another resident, 35-year-old Shi, said that he often brings his daughter to see and feed the chickens.

"We don't think they're noisy, and it's a good opportunity for children to get to know nature," he added.

However, 60-year-old Liao said that the chickens would crow at around 7am every day and are a nuisance.

He agrees that the authorities should catch the chickens, but hopes that some of them will remain there.

In response to queries, NParks group director for wildlife management How Choon Beng said that the board adopts a science-based and community-based management approach for wild animals, including free-roaming chickens.

He added that NParks also works with grassroots organisations to come up with the best practices to manage the chicken population, such as advising residents against feeding them, and sharing information to reduce roosting sites.

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chingshijie@asiaone.com