2 Separate Wild Boar Attacks Occurred in Punggol; Both Happened Within an Hour

Unlike countries like Australia, where you could wake up to a spider in your shoe and an alligator knocking on your door, Singapore isn’t exactly teeming with wildlife.

Unless we visit the zoo or wildlife sanctuaries, the animals we usually come across here are cats, pigeons, and more cats.

Once in a blue moon, a snake makes an appearance.

But in recent years, more and more wild boars have been turning up, some of whom have attacked residents.

Last year, a woman walking home in Pasir Ris was attacked by a wild boar.

Just three months later, two more victims have fallen prey to their attacks.

2 People Injured After Wild Boar Attacks in Punggol Within an Hour

Wild boars in Punggol attacked two people in separate incidents on Saturday night (20 Feb), according to The Straits Times.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) first received a call at 9.10pm to 308B Punggol Walk.

And just 20 minutes later, they received another call to 310A Punggol Walk.

In the second attack, which occurred right below Block 310A, a female victim was reportedly bitten and dragged for nearly a metre by a wild boar.

Lianhe Wanbao reported that an eyewitness heard the woman crying for help and called the police.

A passerby used an umbrella to hit the boar while a food delivery rider rang his bicycle bell repeatedly to scare the animal away.

Both people sustained injuries and were taken to Sengkang General Hospital by the SCDF.

20 Men Activated to Search For Wild Boar

The next day, Punggol West MP Sun Xueling sent get-well wishes to the two victims and shared more details of the authorities’ response to the incident.

“I have been in contact with NParks and SPF since last night on the wild boar attacks in Punggol. They have been providing me updates throughout the day,” she said.

“20 men were activated last night to look for the wild boar. They are still continuing to search for it to ensure it does not come near to residents.”

NParks has also put up several signs along the waterway to advise residents on what to do should they encounter a wild boar, she said.

So, what should you do?

What To Do If You Encounter A Wild Boar

According to NParks, there are three things you should do if you come across a wild boar:

• Keep calm and retreat slowly
• Maintain a safe distance and do not provoke it
• Leave adults with young piglets alone

Do not attempt to feed any wild boars, corner them, or use a flash while taking pictures of them.

Featured Image: Facebook (Sun Xueling)