Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

News of a pet peacock that belongs to a resident at Serangoon Gardens made the rounds on social media, after it attacked a three-year-old girl on Nov. 28, leaving her with stitches on her face.

The peacock had apparently charged out of the residential compound at Tavistock Avenue and attacked the child "aggressively", even though the child was only looking in from outside the gate.

In an update on Dec. 2, the child's mother, Kris Chan, shared that she had found out that others had allegedly been attacked by peacocks from the same home before.

This prompted her to put forth an appeal for other victims to contact her.

Gave thanks for everyone's support

Chan started off her post by thanking everyone for the "tremendous outpouring of support, advice and empathy".

Responses to her account of the attack on her daughter have been sympathetic.

However, some social media users said that she and her husband could have kept a tighter eye on their child.

Chan addressed the latter group by saying that her husband "is the most loving and caring father I know", adding that "I have 100 per cent trust he did his best and utmost to protect our daughter".

In fact, photos she previously shared showed the scratches and bleeding her husband sustained when trying to protect his daughter from the peacock.

Not an isolated incident

She went on to reveal that what shocked her was the realisation that her daughter's attack was not an isolated case.

Several people reached out to her with similar accounts of being attacked by a peacock from that particular residence.

One case she cited occurred in August 2020, where the female victim suffered from a 1cm laceration on her face.

A police report was lodged and the victim was told to inform the Animal Veterinary Service (AVS). However, Chan said that "apparently nothing much came out of it at all".

Like in Chan's case, the peacock's owners apparently did not take responsibility for the 2020 incident — they gave the victim some turmeric powder and olive oil to apply on her wound and asked her to seek medical help herself.

This, Chan believes, is an indication that the owners are cognisant of the peacock's aggressiveness, but have not implemented any "safety measures at all".

She wrote:

"That is truly unbelievable and unimaginable to us. THE BIRD HAS A HISTORY OF ATTACKING STRANGERS, not just kids but also adults, AND THE OWNER CONTINUED TO LET IT ROAM FREE WITH GATE WIDE OPEN."

As such, Chan encourages other victims to come forward and contact her.

She is also appealing for any CCTV or dashcam footage of the incident on Nov. 28.

Background about the attack

The Chan family and the peacock's owner are currently in dispute over who should take responsibility for the attack.

The owners, after apparently consulting their lawyers and the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), maintained that they were not at fault, as the toddler had reportedly provoked the peacock by staring at it.

The residents apparently added that they would decide how much to compensate the Chan family after the medical bill has been tallied, if at all.

The family has made a police report, but was told that the incident was not a criminal offence.

Till now, both the owners and AVS have yet to contact the Chan family.

In Singapore, it is legal to keep up to 10 non-commercial poultry, a term which includes peacocks.

Top photo from Kris Chan / FB