I REFER to the letter by Mr Frederick Ow last Thursday ("Protect
NTU students from roaming wildlife"; March 31).
Mr Ow raised concerns about the risk of Nanyang Technological
University (NTU) students coming to harm as a result of encounters
with wildlife from the nearby forest.
It is true that wild boar and venomous snakes may wander onto
campus grounds and pose a threat to people. However, in most cases,
encounters between people and wildlife are brief and usually result
in the animal fleeing from humans.
A fence surrounding the entire NTU campus would not only be
prohibitively expensive, but would also not serve its purpose for
very long; wild boar, with their bulk and rooting habits, would
soon be able to create gaps in the mesh, and snakes are able to
scale most fences anyway.
In the meantime, other creatures such as pangolins and leopard
cats (both of which are critically endangered species in Singapore)
would find their access to habitats across the road suddenly cut
off, isolating them in patches of forest which might be unable to
sustain all their needs.
Instead of building fences to protect wildlife from people (and
vice versa), it would be far better to create an environment where
tolerance and co-existence are emphasised.
Instead of pandering to fear, a more desirable strategy would be
to raise awareness on campus, such as having signboards or posters
to inform people about the presence of these creatures, and
dispelling misconceptions by distributing leaflets to staff and
students, telling them what to do and what not to do should one
encounter a wild animal.
To further minimise human-wildlife conflict, other key measures
could include ensuring proper disposal of food waste, which will
not only attract omnivorous scavengers, such as wild boar and
monkeys, but also rats, which in turn might lead to more snakes on
campus.
At the same time, it is essential to curb the unbridled
enthusiasm of people who are so excited by wildlife sightings that
they put themselves in harm's way. There would need to be a strong
policy on preventing people from feeding the wildlife, which
encourages wild animals to leave the forest and deliberately seek
people out, with potentially dire consequences.
It will be impossible to completely prevent people from crossing
paths with wildlife, and sharing the same places.
I believe the optimal solution would be to accept the presence
of these creatures, maintain a respectful distance, and take
necessary measures to reduce conflict. Instead of fearing them,
let's appreciate the occasional fleeting glimpses and reminders
that we are not the only species to call Singapore home.
Ivan Kwan
