Wild boar injures woman near Yishun housing block

SINGAPORE — Spending his evening on Wednesday (March 9) chatting with fellow retirees at the corner of Block 846 Yishun Street 81, a 69-year-old man did not expect to see a wild boar charge across the open-air space in front of him.

"I thought it was a dog that someone forgot to leash at first and the dog bit the woman who fell." Mr Siah told TODAY in Mandarin, declining to give his full name.

"It was only when it hit the glass pane of the spectacles store next to us with a loud bang that I realised it was a wild boar... it had blood on its face after running into (the windowpane)."

The woman fell because the boar knocked into her.

After the boar ran off towards a coffee shop at Block 848 Yishun Street 81, Mr Siah said that people ran over to help the woman.

He estimated that she was lying on the ground for roughly 15 minutes before the paramedics arrived.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said that it received a call for assistance at Block 846 Yishun Ring Road at about 6.50pm on Wednesday. It took one person to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

The National Parks Board (NParks) said that it was also aware of the incident.

Mr How Choon Beng, director of wildlife management and outreach at NParks, said: "The wild boar was last observed entering the forest in Yishun Park. We are currently searching for it and have closed off Yishun Park for public safety."

Mr Raymond Chin, 31, who works at a fruit shop facing the open-air space said that he saw the wild boar run from Block 841 before it ran into the woman at the plaza just in front of Sheng Shiong supermarket.

"People were getting off work, so the plaza was quite crowded. It's surprising only one person was injured," he added.

Mr Chin said that he was used to seeing wild boars in Malaysia, though he was surprised that one would wander into the housing estate.

For Mr Derrick Khor, the boar's appearance at KPT Kopitiam, the coffee shop at Block 848, stunned him and other workers.

The 21-year-old was working at the Chowhound Western Grill food stall in the coffee shop when he heard a commotion in the direction of the plaza, followed by a loud bang. 

"One of the women at the next-door zi char (stir-fried food) stall screamed so I quickly looked. That was when I saw the wild boar run from behind the drinks stall and head towards the car park," Mr Khor said.

The coffee shop has an exit to the car park located next to the zi char stall and the boar used that path to leave.

One resident, Madam May Wong, 59, did not witness the incident, but said that she has seen wild boars at Yishun Park before, but never expected one to wander into the estate.

The clothes store owner who lives in the area added: "I usually walk at the park and have seen a wild boar or two roam around before, but it’s quite dangerous knowing (the animal) has wandered here and even injured someone."

Ms Carrie Tan, Member of Parliament for Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency, said in a Facebook post on Thursday that the town council has rallied its staff members to be on the lookout for the boar.

"I wish the injured a speedy recovery and will be visiting the Khatib shop owners once I test negative (for Covid-19) and am released from isolation and finish my parliamentary duties," she wrote.

NParks told TODAY that if members of the public encounter a wild boar, they should remain calm, keep a safe distance and not provoke the animal.

They may call the Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600 to report any wild boar encounters.