PEOPLE AFRAID OF MURDER BY CROWS

Singapore’s NParks to euthanize crows following attacks in Bishan

A murder of crows in a field. Photo: Unsplash

By Coconuts Singapore

Feb 16, 2023 | 

The National Parks Board told reporters last night that they are trapping crows near Block 110 Bishan Street 12 following several reports of attacks from at least three birds since last week.

The trapped crows will be euthanized to manage their population.

A Tuesday report by Shin Min Daily News said that the Bishan crows had attacked 10 people within 20 minutes on Monday.

Photos and videos showed the crows swooping down and pecking on people’s heads while they were walking down a pedestrian path. Some victims were shocked while others acted like it wasn’t the first time it happened to them.

The Board added they will be removing nests and pruning trees to further discourage crows from nesting there. They are also working with the Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council.

Adrian Loo, group director of wildlife management at NParks, said the crows are an “invasive species” and a “threat” to native biodiversity.

The crows’ bad behavior could be due to the protective nature of their babies in the nests when they sense danger.

Crows were frequently culled by shooting decades ago but ways to mitigate its population have now shifted to discouraging the public from feeding them and disposing of food scraps properly.

In a video by the Straits Times, one of the residents Tan Soo How who was attacked and had witnessed the crows attack others said that initially he wanted to alert the authorities earlier but was worried that they would “catch them and kill them.”

“That’s what I don’t want,” he added.