Not advisable to move injured boar from expressway, says Acres
The public should not move injured wild animals surrounded by busy traffic at the expense of their own safety, said an Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) spokesman.
His comments on Wednesday (Feb 23) came after a video of a man picking up an injured wild boar from an expressway was shared online, drawing praise from netizens.
While well-intentioned, this act of bravery could have hurt him if the powerful animal had turned on him, the spokesman told The Straits Times.
The 29-second video uploaded on the SG Road Vigilante Facebook page on Monday shows the boar sitting in the middle of the road while the man prompts it to move.
He then picks it up as two motorcycles appear in the frame and stop. But the animal writhes out of his grasp, staggers on its hind legs and collapses on the expressway.
In a second attempt, the man successfully carries the boar and deposits it on the road shoulder.
Some netizens who saw the video said the animal looked injured and needed a veterinarian, or the help of wildlife rescue groups to help it recover.
Though what the man did is "commendable and heartwarming", said the Acres spokesman, his actions are not advised as the situation could have turned ugly if the powerful animal had reacted differently.
"Wild pigs can turn defensive when they are scared," he noted.
In this case, the boar seemed to be dazed and in shock, which explains why the man could carry it to safety, the spokesman said.
While Acres did not handle the incident, he said mammals like wild boars are prone to shock, and fractures and grazes are common when they get into traffic accidents.
If members of the public encounter injured animals on roads, they should always put their safety first, and they can do other things such as controlling traffic or calling for assistance, he added.
Motorists can also play their part to curb roadkill by being more vigilant, especially when driving in areas where wild creatures are known to cross.
In August last year, a critically endangered Raffles' banded langur was struck by a vehicle in Upper Thomson Road. The rare primate can be found only in Singapore and southern Peninsular Malaysia.
Between January 2020 and December 2021, a critically endangered Sunda pangolin and six other animals were killed in Mandai Lake Road.
To curb a potential rise in roadkill, the Acres spokesman called for further studies to be done to identify hot spots for roadkill and more road-calming measures to be introduced.
"Future developments should also take movement of wildlife into consideration in order to mitigate such cases," he added.
The public can call the National Parks Board (NParks) on 1800-476-1600 to ask for an expert to deal with an animal. They can also call the Acres wildlife rescue 24-hour hotline on 9783-7782.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
