Mynah hanging from laundry pole: Authorities looking into incident; woman responsible could face prosecution

SINGAPORE — The Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) is looking into an incident in Yishun where a woman hung a live mynah from a laundry pole outside her Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat, it said on Thursday (Dec 12).

In response to CNA's queries, the service, a cluster of the National Parks Board, said that it was concerned by the incident.

"(The AVS) takes all feedback received from the public on animal cruelty seriously and will look into the cases reported. We were concerned when we were alerted to the case of a mynah being hung from outside an HDB flat, and are looking into the incident," it said.  

"Safeguarding animal welfare is a shared social responsibility."

The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that its officers rescued a mynah that was seen dangling outside a flat in Yishun.

"The mynah was assessed for injuries and given some water and food before being released," said Acres, which added that the bird was hung outside the window so that it could be taught a lesson.

AVS said that first-time offenders caught abusing an animal or bird may be charged under the Animals and Birds Act, and could be fined up to S$15,000, jailed up to 18 months, or both.

It also advised the public on how to deal with birds in and around their homes.

"Mynahs are highly adaptable birds that opportunistically forage on a wide range of food sources in an urban environment," AVS said.

The public can take the following measures to prevent birds from entering their premises, including:

• Removing leftover food from the sink after washing the dishes

• Storing all food, including fruits, in the fridge, microwave or cupboards

• Keeping all bins covered, preferably with heavy lids

• Installing bird-proofing equipment, such as screens or netting on windows

Homeowners can also try keeping their windows closed during the day for a period of two weeks, to break the mynahs' habit of entering their home.

Members of the public can report suspected cases of animal cruelty to AVS via their website, or by calling their Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600. CNA