On March 10, residents in the vicinity of Blk 106 along Jalan Bukit Merah were confronted with the disturbing sight of a pigeon's corpse suspended by the neck from the ledge of the block's second floor.

According to Shin Min Daily News (SMDN), the pigeon appeared to have been hung with a plastic string, with a bag of rubbish the size of a palm tied on the other end of the makeshift rope.

In addition, blood was reportedly seen dripping from the pigeon's neck onto its feathers and the ground floor, with no sign of life from the bird.

Residents on the lower floor might have been unhappy

Members of the public interviewed by SMDN subsequently condemned the apparent act of cruelty.

A 68-year-old woman said that she was shocked by the sight and criticised the act as "cold-blooded."

In speculating about the reasons behind such an act, she said that some residents on the second and third floors might not have been happy about pigeons flying up to ledges on these levels as a result of food thrown from the higher storeys.

She also pointed out that the area is largely populated by the elderly and that there are people who often feed leftovers to the birds.

Another 78-year-old woman said that although there were times where the pigeons did cause some nuisance, this is the first time she had seen such a cruel response.

"No matter what, you cannot treat a small animal like this. It really hurts to see this," she said.

Animal cruelty is punishable by law

Under the Penal Code, first-time offenders found guilty of animal cruelty face a fine of up to S$15,000, imprisonment for up to 18 months, or both.

Repeat offenders face a fine of up to S$30,000, imprisonment of up to three years, or both.

Top collage photos courtesy of Shin Min Daily News