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Man suffers cuts to legs after wild boar attack near Hillview condominium

SINGAPORE — A 44-year-old man was attacked by a wild boar near a condominium at Hillview Avenue, and landed in hospital with cuts and lacerations on both his legs.

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SINGAPORE — A 44-year-old man was attacked by a wild boar near a condominium at Hillview Avenue, and landed in hospital with cuts and lacerations on both his legs.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident on Thursday (Oct 19) at 8.43am and dispatched an ambulance. The man, who was conscious, was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

TODAY understands that he is a resident at Hillview Park condominium.

Residents TODAY spoke to expressed shock that the incident took place considering that wild boar sightings in the neighbourhood are very rare, with some saying that the wild boar could have wandered out of Dairy Farm Nature Park.

Security guard Faizal Idroos said he had just reached his workplace at Glendale Park condominium — beside Hillview Park condominium — at about 8am when he heard a commotion near the estate’s entrance. He saw a man – dressed casually in shirt and jeans – lying on the pavement and clutching his thighs.

He added that four passers-by already attending to the man, including a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) medical doctor as he was making his way to the Ministry of Defence, located just a few minutes away from the condominium. Two police cars arrived at the scene shortly after.

“The man had deep laceration on his left upper thigh but he was calm and conscious. The doctor helped to bandage his thigh,” said Mr Faizal, who has been working at the condominium for less than a month.

Mr Faizal said other passers-by who also attended to the man told him that the wild boar later fled and was hit by a bus. He added that the animal had died, possibly of internal injuries, and its carcass was removed by the National Environment Agency.

Resident Jackie Li was making her way to Hillview MRT station when she saw the injured man. As she turned a corner, she witnessed police officers trying to cordon the area where the wild boar’s carcass was at.

“I heard that it came out suddenly from nowhere and attacked the man. This is the first time I saw a wild boar in my neighbourhood,” said the 32-year-old financial planner.

When contacted, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said wild boar sightings in that area are not common, and the animal likely came from nearby forested areas. 

The AVA's spokesman added: "AVA is currently working closely with relevant stakeholders including NParks, ACRES, Wildlife Reserves Singapore and NUS, to mitigate encounters with wild boars and ensure public safety. Some possible measures that we are exploring, and intend to implement as soon as possible, include putting up signages about wildlife crossings at specific locations to warn motorists, and erecting barriers to prevent wildlife from encroaching onto roads."

Following the incident, South West District Mayor and Member of Parliament (Chua Chu Kang) Low Yen Ling wrote on her Facebook page that she has been in touch with the AVA, Land Transport Authority and ACRES: Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Singapore).

“(This is) to ensure that follow up procedures are in place with regards to the animal and also the safety of residents and pedestrians in that area,” she said.

She also advised the public against approaching or provoking the wild boars if they encounter them.

Just this year alone, there has been several instances of wild boars being sighted in populated areas.

On June 30, a 55-year-old woman was walking her dog in the Upper Thomson area when she was attacked. She needed about 60 stitches for a wound on her right calf.

Earlier that month, a video circulating online showed a herd of wild boars milling around a bus interchange in Tuas.

While residents in the Hillview area expressed surprise on hearing such an attack took place, most of them were unfazed by it, describing the incident as an isolated case since they have never encountered any wild boars in the neighbourhood.

Glendale Park is located opposite HillV2 shopping mall and about three minutes away from Hillview MRT station. Most of the buildings around the area are condominiums and the nearest forested area is Dairy Farm Nature Park.

Mr Shentley Tan, who lives in nearby Hillview Heights condominium, said that the attack is not much of a concern, unless more of such animals start to appear in the neighbourhood.

“It’s easy to over-react, and some would call for more of such animals to be culled and so on. But I think it’s just a one-off incident,” said the 52-year-old, who has been living in his condominium since 1998.

IT consultant Ranjith Kumar, 33, who also saw the wild boar’s carcass, added: “I am not really concerned about it. But I might be more careful when I bring kids out for a walk in the area.” 

The AVA advises the public not to approach, disturb or try to catch wild boars. The spokesman said: "The public should keep a safe distance from the wild boars and avoid confronting or cornering them. Do not interact with the wild boars and keep young children and pets away from them."

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