Crow shooting successfully resumes at Yishun; operations to start in 9 districts

Crow shooting operations resumed successfully in Yishun on Tuesday (March 24), Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

"Last month, I announced that we would resume crow shooting operations as part of our efforts to reduce the crow population in Singapore. 

"We successfully commenced shooting operations yesterday (March 24) in Yishun," the minister said.

By comparing the vehicles and rain trees seen in the background — according to Google Map's street view and ground checks — AsiaOne was able to ascertain that the operation was carried out at the heavy vehicle carpark along Yishun Avenue 8.

From one of the pictures, AsiaOne also observed that a safety cordon was established using cones. A signage was also seen along a perimeter line.

Chee said that these were part of the National Parks Board's "strict safety protocols", which include cordons and clear signage at shooting zones and access points to advise the public to keep away.

He added that auxiliary police officers will also be deployed on-site to support operations and ensure public safety.

Operations to start in nine districts

The minister also announced in his post that crow shooting operations will start in nine districts — Bishan, Jurong, Kranji, Punggol, Sembawang, Tampines, Toa Payoh, Woodlands and Yishun — over the next few weeks, before being progressively scaled up to more areas.

Crow population in Singapore rose to 160,000 in 2024, up from about 7,295 in 2016. Public complaints against crows have also risen sharply — from about 5,000 cases in 2020 to about 15,000 cases last year.

Chee said that crow shooting operations will complement NParks' existing multi-pronged management efforts which includes trapping, nest removal and reducing food sources.

He also urged the community to play its part by not feeding pest birds and ensuring that food scraps are properly disposed of. 

"I would like to thank our NParks colleagues and our partners for their hard work, and members of the public for their cooperation, as we carry out these operations to reduce the crow population in different towns across Singapore," Chee added.

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editor@asiaone.com