Written answer by Ministry of National Development on individuals caught for wildlife feeding and mental wellness programmes or counselling for repeat offenders besides fine

Nov 22, 2023

Question No: 5444

Question by: Ms Yeo Wan Ling

To ask the Minister for National Development (a) in the past 18 months, how many people have been caught for wildlife feeding, in particular, the feeding of pigeons; and (b) besides incurring a fine, whether the Ministry will consider putting in place mental wellness programmes or counselling for repeat offenders.

Answer:

From April 2022 to October 2023, 309 individuals were found to feed wildlife illegally. 186 of these individuals were feeding pigeons. NParks takes appropriate enforcement action based on the circumstances of each case. This may include issuing an advisory, warning, or composition fine. Offenders may also be prosecuted in Court. 

2        For repeat offenders, NParks partners the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), Municipal Services Office, People’s Association, and Town Councils (TCs) to understand their motivations and discourage them from continuing to feed wildlife. For example, some may feed wildlife due to loneliness, or because they are concerned that the animals are not getting enough food in the wild.

3        NParks offers these feeders nature-based activities as alternatives to feeding. This includes community gardening, which creates opportunities for them to be engaged socially with others, and birdwatching, where they can observe how wild birds forage naturally without human-generated food sources. For individuals with mental health needs, AIC will link them with appropriate services, such as counselling, for support.

4        NParks also works with SFA, NEA, and TCs to raise general public awareness on the negative impacts of feeding wildlife. This is part of NParks’ holistic approach to wildlife management, which also includes measures such as food source reduction, habitat modification, and population control.

5        All of us can play our part to keep the populations of wildlife species under control and safeguard public health and safety, by not feeding wildlife and keeping our environment clean.