Wild boars seen at Punggol golf range dodging golf balls

Putters at a golf range in Punggol were treated to an unusual sight on the evening of Feb. 20: Two wild boars ambling around the course.

The strange scene at around 8:30pm was captured by a TikTok user, who said he was there at Poh Brothers Golf Driving Range to practice his golf.

He'd initially thought they were statues, but as he continued to practice, he noticed that they were moving.

The user, who gave his name as Chua, told Mothership: "I was like omg is that a dog? No — it's not one but two wild boars!"

A few people around him began to exclaim at the unusual sight, and he decided to take out his phone to record a video.

In the video he posted to TikTok, the boars appeared to be trotting around the far end of the golf course, while golf balls flew through the air.

While the boars seemed somewhat out of their element, neither of them got hit.

Chua said he didn't know how they got in, but they "seemed to be looking for an escape route".

He added that some of the golfers tried to aim at them, but none succeeded.

Chua added that he was practising on the second floor during the boars' visit.

"Imagine what could have happened if you are practising around the first floor, and the wild boars decided to storm at you," he remarked.

The employees did not "immediately escort" the wild boars out of the premises, and they were still present when he left at 9pm, he said.

Mothership understands that no report to the National Parks Board (NParks) was made.

What to do in a boar encounter

Wild boars are native to Singapore and can usually be found in forested, terrestrial, and mangrove habitats.

They can weigh up to 100kg, and while shy, are still wild animals and may be unpredictable.

Like many other wild animals, wild boars will only attack if they are cornered or if they feel threatened.

Female wild boars can be very protective of their young and can be easily provoked.

According to NParks, the following measures can be taken when encountering a wild boar:

• Be calm and move slowly away from the animal. Do not approach or attempt to feed the animal.
• Keep a safe distance and do not corner or provoke the animal i.e. by using a flash while taking pictures of it.
• If adults with young piglets are sighted, leave them alone. These are potentially more dangerous because they may attempt to defend their young.
• Do not touch or pick up any sick or dead wild boars.

Top image from Chua/TikTok