Recently, there have been disputes about the wild boar population in Singapore. Singapore's efforts to preserve nature seems to be more successful than we thought, with the wild boar population having increased tremendously. The recent attacks, especially one on a young toddler in Bishan park, has sparked a discussion on whether we should cull the wild boar population. NParks have decided that they will cull the wild boar population in Lower Peirce, where most of the wild boar sightings have happened, and even one incident when a jogger spotted a family of wild boars at Lower Peirce Reservoir. To view the STOMP article about the above incident, click here. Many citizens are worried for their safety, especially in places such as reservoirs and parks, where boars can be seen. I will briefly introduce wild boars, and then explain some of the arguments that people have come up with on why or why not cull these animals.
Firstly, wild boars are crepuscular or nocturnal animals, meaning that they only forage for food in the early morning, late afternoon, or at night, resting in between those times. Being omnivorous, they eat anything they come across, some of which includes: berries, grass, nuts, small reptiles, roots. Just as any animal would, when wild boars feel threatened, they will defend themselves in intense vigour. This is especially for sows who have piglets with them. Now, one important factor in the culling decision is the reproduction in wild boars. Typically, pregnancy lasts for only 115 days, a little less than 4 months, with each litter usually having 4-6 piglets. This means that wild boars grow in numbers quickly.
So with the above being said, some of the pro-culling arguments are obvious. Wild boars reproduce way too fast. If they takeover our roads and urbanized areas, it might be disastrous. They also spoil the natural environment, as they have a tendency to uproot plants when foraging for food. This bad habit can start from a young age. They might also cause obstructions on roads, with drivers having to stop if they walk across roads, to avoid accidents.
Now, for the anti-culling reasons. I chanced upon this article on STOMP, showing how 'friendly' wild boars can be. I find no fault in this, and I think that this is valid. If we do not harm them, they will not harm us. I believe this principle is easy enough for everyone to understand. Here is the article if you wish to check it out. Wild boars are of course animals, and like us, live lives, and we should not take it away just for such a reason. The incidents where people are attacked are probably one-off, and the incident which I mentioned, the one where a toddler was attacked by a wild boar, was probably because the child was young, and did not know that it was dangerous, and went too close to the wild boar, and entering the danger zone.
Personally, I think that the wild boars can be culled, but not by setting traps that will hurt them. Other innocent creatures might get caught in these traps too, with an incident where a dog's leg was caught in a wild boar trap, and eventually leaving the dog with a leg less than he originally had. That is more cruel than culling the boars, causing innocent victims hurt. Culling the boars should be left to the authorities to do, and we citizens can only voice out our opinion to let them know our feelings. I hope that the authorities will find the correct solution to make us all happy.
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