Crows attack passers-by outside Orchard Central
At least two crows have been seen attacking people walking just outside an entrance to the Orchard Central mall.
The Straits Times observed about 10 attacks an hour during a visit to the area on Thursday.
From nearby street signs, the birds swooped in from behind, grazing victims’ shoulders with their talons, and pecking at their necks and ears. After each attack, they were seen returning to a particular tree, close to the mall’s outdoor escalator.
They seemed to target men who, unawares, strayed too close to the tree, with one man seen leaving the area with a bleeding earlobe. ST did not observe the crows attacking women who passed by the area.
Ms Kim Choo, 53, had on Tuesday noticed and filmed the birds attacking three passers-by within a minute and sent the footage to citizen journalism portal Stomp.
She said: “I kept to the sheltered area near the mall because the crows were only attacking people at the open air walkway.
“I started filming after I saw them attack a man until his ear bled.”
Ms Choo was concerned about children passing by and people going up the nearby escalator with their backs turned.
“Imagine if they lose their balance and fall from the shock of an attack”, she said.
Troublemaking crows have made headlines several times this year. In February, an aggressive colony at Bishan was culled after a rash of complaints from residents who were attacked.
On the earlier reported incidents, NParks said house crows are “particularly protective of their young and may attack when the chicks are in the nest or when they sense that their young are threatened”.
ST has contacted NParks for comment.
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