HIGH REPRODUCITVE RATES
Wild boars have high reproductive rates, giving birth a maximum of twice a year with a litter size of up to 12 piglets. Female wild boars start reproducing from 18 months of age.
“Wild boars also do not have natural predators in Singapore. NParks therefore has to actively manage the wild boar population,” said Mr Tan.
This includes carrying out habitat modification, such as removing oil palms, to reduce wild boars’ food sources.
Similar to practices in other countries, NParks also removes boars where necessary to ensure public safety, Mr Tan said.
“Based on studies by NParks, these measures have helped to keep the wild boar population in our nature reserves stable at a density that is lower than those recorded in similar forest reserves in the region,” he added.
In May, a woman was hospitalised with multiple wounds after she was attacked by a wild boar at a bus stop along Bukit Panjang Road. The animal was euthanised after it was found to have two broken hind legs.
The second attack took place on Jun 1, involving a 40-year-old man who was walking his dog at Zhenghua Nature Park. The boar bit the man’s leg and left him with a wound that required more than 20 stitches.
Speaking in parliament, Mr Tan encouraged dog owners to avoid walking their dogs at night due to the low visibility and the possibility of encountering nocturnal wildlife.
Should dog owners see a wild boar in the distance, they are advised to keep their dogs close by tightening its leash and moving away from the wild boar “as quietly and as rapidly as possible”, he added.
Wild boars, which are naturally found in many parts of the world including Singapore and the region, travel in herds and stay within forested areas.
While Bukit Panjang and the adjacent Zhenghua Nature Park do not have a resident wild boar population, wild boars “appear from time to time” due to the estate’s close proximity to nature reserves and other forested areas such as Chestnut Nature Park and Dairy Farm Nature Park, said Mr Tan.
He added that NParks has taken steps to mitigate risks and will be closely monitoring the wild boar situation in the area.
