Situation 

Dated 23rd Feb 2023, 8.30pm - 10.30pm.

In response to community complaints of Noise Pollution within the Toa Payoh Residential area, 

NParks engaged a company BirdRIP to set up a huge net measuring around 15 stories tall, with 4 helium balloons in between blocks 14 and 10B in Toa Payoh Lorong 7. At around 9.30pm, after an hour of waiting and silence, NParks contractors started using laser harassment, shining these lights around the trees surrounding the blocks, dispersing crows and unfortunately caught one crow in their trap. The contractors then lowered the net and yanked the bird out of the net. This concluded the end of said “trial” by NParks. 

Why Do Crows Call? 

Crows will caw for several reasons including alarm calls, territorial defense calls, call-to-arms calls, and mobbing calls. Crows that know each other may sing together, rattle, or coo at each other. Due to recent dark clouds, winds and the rainy season, calls are a way that crows use to let each other know that a storm is approaching. Unlike humans, these crows do not have a roof over their head, they are subjected to wind and rain without shade. 

NParks and their Engagement of BirdRIP 

NParks Mission: To create the best living environment through excellence in nature conservation, greenery and recreation, and veterinary care, in partnership with the community

NParks Vision: Let's make Singapore our City in Nature

NParks Values: 

Environmental Stewardship
Learning and Innovation
Excellent Service
Care and Compassion
Teamwork and Partnership

Source: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/about-us/mission-and-history

Ironically, BirdRIP is powered by AzAntz Services, their website states that they are “your all-in-one pest bird solution expert. With over 13 years of adventure in settling Singapore pest issues, we are getting better and better in handling pest birds.”

Source: https://www.birdrip.com/

The Issue

While culling is a quick way to address complaints from the public, there are better ways of controlling the crow population in Singapore, the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) said. 

Residents from Toa Payoh Lorong 7 were seen watching NParks’ efforts to cull crows, including young children and adult residents from both blocks as the net was visible from all windows of both blocks. In a research titled “Traumatized Witnesses: Review of Childhood Exposure to Animal Cruelty”, it states “cultures in which animals are devalued and their abuse normalized may foster the social acceptability and frequency of cruelty (Plant et al. 2016).

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7683760/

NParks goal of inspiring ownership and care of greenery and nature is highly contradictory to their solution exhibited in this trial. Furthermore, these traps could potentially trap other birds such as mynahs, pigeons, sparrows and more. 

Alternative Solutions 

Throughout all government sectors in Singapore, education has been and always will be a core solution to situations that people cannot understand. Questions such as, “Why do crows attack humans” and “Why do crows make noises” can be answered without violence and killing involved. 

Ironically, NParks’ current solution to placate public complaints is to cull them, in the view of everyone. The lack of education enables the mindset that birds are pests and they deserve to be culled. Are we addressing the root cause of the problem here? Is that the true mission of NParks?