Wild boar killed in lorry accident in Punggol

SINGAPORE - A lorry accident in Punggol took one life on Saturday (Jan 12) - that of a wild boar.

The incident took place at about 11.55am outside the Waterway Point shopping mall, said the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres).

Acres deputy chief executive Kalai Vanan said that the carcass was cleared by the National Environment Agency.

"Basically, with habitat loss, animals get lost and stranded," he said.

The Straits Times understands that a wild boar ran out from a carpark onto the road, was hit by a lorry, and subsequently died from its injuries.

The lorry driver was not injured, and police were at the scene.

In a photo provided to ST, the boar can be seen lying on its side in the middle of the road. Two traffic cones are placed near it, and police vehicles can be seen at the scene.

In another photo, blood can be seen on the road surface surrounding the carcass.

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

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said in August 2018 that it had received about 150 cases of wild boar-related feedback islandwide from January to July that year.

Of those, 31 cases were from Punggol, which exceeded the 27 cases reported for the area in the whole of 2017.

Mr Subaraj Rajathurai, director of Strix Wildlife consultancy, told ST last year that many pockets of nature had been removed for housing development in recent years, causing wildlife to lose their habitats and wander around looking for food.

"We have encroached on their homes, where do you expect them to go?" he added.

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

They should not approach or attempt to feed it. They should also keep a safe distance and not corner or provoke the animal, for instance, by using a flash while taking its picture.

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