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A Singaporean man was attacked by a wild boar at Zhenghua Park on Jun. 1.

The man's dog fended the boar off before a second attack, but he still required surgery and 20 stitches to his leg.

He added that wild boars are a common sight in the area, but are usually harmless.

Despite what happened, he hopes that nothing bad will happen to the wild boar.

NParks monitoring the area

In response to Mothership's queries, the National Parks Board (NParks)'s Group Director for Wildlife Management, Adrian Loo, shared that they were alerted to the incident on Jun. 1, and is in touch with the man.

They are currently monitoring the Zhenghua area.

For public safety, exclusion fencing has been installed to prevent wild boars from straying out of forested areas and venturing into residential estates.

They are also working with stakeholders on public education and outreach to promote "safe and responsible human-wildlife encounters".

NParks will take enforcement action against those who feed wildlife, which is illegal, as this can alter wildlife's natural foraging behaviour and lead to them relying on humans for food.

The agency revealed that it has been trapping wild boars in the Zhenghua area.

Since May this year, eight boars have been trapped.

Loo did not share what happens to the boars after they are trapped.

Community and science-based approach

Loo shared that NParks adopts a community and science-based approach to managing wild boar encounters.

This includes habitat modification, such as removal of oil palms, conducting studies to better understand their ecology and distribution, managing the movement of wild boars, relocation and culling.

This approach takes into consideration the situation, location, health and behavioural conditions of the wild boars.

NParks works with public agencies and developers to erect hoarding to prevent wildlife such as wild boars from straying into nearby residential areas.

Population control measures are also implemented where necessary to protect public safety.

"Wild boars can reproduce quickly and lack natural predators in Singapore, hence there is a need to humanely manage its population, especially when public safety is compromised," Loo said.

What to do if you see a wild boar

If members of the public encounter a wild boar, they should remain as calm as possible and move slowly away from the animal.

Keep a safe distance and do not corner or provoke the animal.

If adult wild boars are seen with piglets, keep a distance and leave them alone as they can become aggressive when trying to defend their young.

NParks advises the public not to touch or pick up any sick or dead animals.

Members of the public should call the Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600 to report these sightings, or any wild boar encounters.

Top photo courtesy of JL and from Canva