Woman from Punggol Sec injured by wild boar that later got stranded in condo

A woman was taken to hospital after she was injured by a wild boar in Punggol on Tuesday (Aug 28).

Stomper Sathiamoorthy alerted Stomp to a photo posted on Facebook of the woman with blood running down her right leg.

The incident happened near Punggol Secondary School at 51 Edgefield Plains. 

A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesman told Stomp that it responded to a call for medical assistance at about 5.15pm.

The woman in her 30s was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

The woman is understood to be an employee of the school, and that she suffered lacerations, reports The Straits Times.

The wild boar was later found at Waterbay executive condominium where it was captured by staff from the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres).

Mr Kalai Vanan, Acres' deputy chief executive, told The Straits Times that it received a call at about 5pm in the Punggol area.

"To our knowledge, the boar subsequently entered a condominium where it found itself stranded," he said, adding that Acres responded to the case, and sedated and relocated the wild boar.

He added that he believes the wild boar was most likely from Lorong Halus, a wetland located near the eastern bank of Serangoon Reservoir.

It is unknown why the boar was roaming around the area but Mr Kalai said that development works might be a reason.

"Feeding by people may have had a part to play in causing the animal to venture out as well," he said.

This is not the first time a wild boar has been spotted roaming in an urban area.

In July, Stomp reported on two separate sightings of a lone wild boar sighted in Yew Tee HDB estate. The boar was observed to be comfortable around humans leading Mr Kalai to believe it had been previously fed by people causing it to not be shy.

According to the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), here is what to do should you encounter a wild boar:

• AVA advises the public not to approach, disturb, feed or try to catch any wildlife. We urge the public to keep a safe distance from all wild boars and avoid confronting or cornering the animals. Do not interact with the animal, and ensure that young children and pets are kept away as they may be curious and approach it.

• The public can refer to the advisory on wild boars on AVA’s website and contact us at 1800 476 1600 to provide feedback or request for assistance.