Consistently feeding stray animals just doesn't pay off, guys.
We learnt that when hundreds of rats made a hill near Bukit Batok MRT station their home, and we're learning it again now as residents in Hougang get pecked at by 'hangry' (for the uninitiated, it's slang derived from blending of "hungry" and "angry") crows.
When The New Paper (TNP) visited the neighbourhood on Wednesday (Jan. 14) evening, they saw seven people get attacked in half an hour. Most were carrying plastic bags and walking near a small tree outside Hougang Mall on Hougang Avenue 10, where several of the crows were nestled. Others were perched on top of lamp posts.
The local tabloid observed that the crows moved so fast some victims didn't even get the chance to react.
Experts say the crows, believed to be house crows or Corvus spendens, might be behaving this way because people have been feeding them. They swoop down on passersby carrying plastic bags because they recognise these might contain food for them.
According to TNP, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) will conduct surveillance and crow control operations when it receives reports on crow attacks, to safeguard public safety. These include tree pruning to deter the birds from roosting, proper disposal of food, as well as bird control operations.
In 2013, 460 crow attacks were reported. The number significantly reduced last year to 260.
Photo: House crows, also known as Corvus splendens; Wikipedia
Consistently feeding stray animals just doesn't pay off, guys.
We learnt that when hundreds of rats made a hill near Bukit Batok MRT station their home, and we're learning it again now as residents in Hougang get pecked at by 'hangry' (for the uninitiated, it's slang derived from blending of "hungry" and "angry") crows.
When The New Paper (TNP) visited the neighbourhood on Wednesday (Jan. 14) evening, they saw seven people get attacked in half an hour. Most were carrying plastic bags and walking near a small tree outside Hougang Mall on Hougang Avenue 10, where several of the crows were nestled. Others were perched on top of lamp posts.
The local tabloid observed that the crows moved so fast some victims didn't even get the chance to react.
Experts say the crows, believed to be house crows or Corvus spendens, might be behaving this way because people have been feeding them. They swoop down on passersby carrying plastic bags because they recognise these might contain food for them.
According to TNP, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) will conduct surveillance and crow control operations when it receives reports on crow attacks, to safeguard public safety. These include tree pruning to deter the birds from roosting, proper disposal of food, as well as bird control operations.
In 2013, 460 crow attacks were reported. The number significantly reduced last year to 260.
Photo: House crows, also known as Corvus splendens; Wikipedia