Wild boar population needs to be managed

National Development Minister, Khaw Boon Wan has weighed in on the subject of wild boars in Singapore. 

Writing in his blog on Housing Matters, Mr Khaw says the wild boar population needs to be managed and re-homing them is, unfortunately, not an option. 

Just this morning, he says two wild boars wandered off into the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and charged at a CISCO Security Officer and a child. 

Luckily, he says, they were not seriously injured. 

He explained in his blog post that Singapore is a modern City in a Garden. 

And he hopes that all species of animals, birds, insects, trees and flowers can have their place under the sun in their natural habitat and not caged up as if in a giant Zoo. 

This he says is a very stretched target. 

Singapore may never achieve it, but it forces the people to be creative and to think out of the box to try to see if Singaporeans can co-exist with as many species of living things as possible without endangering themselves . 

Mr Khaw says his priority is protecting Singapore's babies, that they will be safe and grow up well, happy and be able to fulfil their dreams. 

That is why the Ministry has to act on stray dogs and wild boars occasionally. 

It is to protect babies but he adds that the Ministry will be as humane as it can, but the need to manage their population remains. 

Last month, NParks and AVA jointly rounded up a pack of stray dogs at Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West. 

Some have been re-homed, but the rest are awaiting a good home.

Meanwhile, the stray dogs in Punggol continue to worry residents and park users there. 

Mr Khaw notes that many Singaporeans are dog lovers but feeding strays indiscriminately and hindering efforts to manage the stray population are not the ways to express this compassion.

Instead, they can come forward to adopt the stray dogs that were rounded up.