A male wild boar was caught in a poaching trap in the Western Catchment area at Lim Chu Kang cemetery on March 4, 2019.

Unfortunately, by the time Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) arrived on the scene 30 minutes after they were alerted, the boar had died.

Died from stress

From the examination of the creature by ACRES' veterinary team, the young male pig had died from stress as a result of being confined to a small space.

The wild boar's hooves were heavily damaged and severely bleeding, reportedly from trying to escape the trap.

A metal spring, possibly where the bait was attached to, was found in the animal's mouth.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and Nparks also responded to the call and investigated the site.

ACRES suspects that the huge trap may have been set up directly on-site using construction metal, wood, and wires.

Western Catchment is biodiversity-rich

The cemetery grounds along with the Western catchment, which encompasses several restricted military areas, is rich in biodiversity.

Due to the lack of human presence and urban development, the forested areas are home to a variety of Singapore's native wildlife such as insects, reptiles, amphibians, and birds, as well as the critically endangered Sunda pangolin.

The mangroves are also inhabited by a species of crab found nowhere else in the world.

Stricter regulations needed

A trap of the size that ACRES found could pose a huge threat to the wildlife in the Western catchment.

There has been support for more stringent legislation to protect wildlife not found in Singapore's protected nature reserves.

In August 2018, a committee formed by Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng drew up a list of amendments to the Wild Animals and Birds Act, the principal legislation that protects animals and birds found outside nature reserves.

An online survey, formed by the committee, was posted on government feedback site REACH, and garnered around 1,000 responses. One of the proposed amendments was a ban on the deployment of traps for all wild animals and birds by unqualified individuals.

According to ChannelNews Asia, the proposed amendments would undergo public consultations and discussions with stakeholders in October, before being presented in parliament in 2019.

If members of the public have any relevant information on poaching, they can call AVA at 1800 476 1600 . They can also call ACRES' Wildlife Rescue hotline at 9783 7782.

Original post:

Top image from ACRES/Facebook