Sin Ming chickens: Noise not a good reason to cull them

It is ironic that we had just ushered in the Year of the Rooster when out comes the report “‘Noisy chickens’ in Sin Ming Avenue put down after residents’ complaints” (Feb 1).

I read it in despair because it showed that we are heading for a hopeless world, owing to the intolerance of a few.

It is difficult to believe that the authorities could not find a place to rehabilitate the affected animals. While space is an issue in Singapore, could they not have been moved to some farm, Pulau Ubin or other islands?

The report states that the chickens were probably from the nearby forested area, which means they were living in their natural habitat.

It is ironic that humans have been destroying these creatures’ natural habitats with our construction, and then when these animals are homeless and venture out close to humans, we end up culling them.

Also, a few chickens crowing is surely nothing compared with other noise created in most places — there is enough of a din coming from construction work around Singapore.

And a mere 20 complaints are not a compelling reason to euthanise the birds. These complainants may have been the same people complaining over the past year. Moreover, the report found that a majority of the area’s residents were unaffected by the crowing.

I pray that, next time, we are more tolerant of all beings, which have an equal right to live in this world. We must preserve whatever wildlife is left in urban Singapore and teach our children to protect them.