Complaints grow in Singapore as wild chickens become more common

The National Parks Board (NParks) has been receiving an increasing number of complaints over the years, with 600 instances so far in 2023. It received 950 complaints in 2021, up from 350 in 2017. Figures for 2022 are not available. Free-ranging chickens have for years been reported in areas such as Pasir Ris and Kembangan, but residents say the birds have started popping up in 2023 in areas such as Jalan Bukit Merah, where they were once a rare sight. Residents say they are concerned about the noise from crowing roosters, unhygienic droppings and how the birds clog up the road. “It’s almost as if I woke up one day, and all of them appeared in the neighbourhood,” said Mr Gary Leong, a 69-year-old retiree from Jalan Bukit Merah. The number of free-ranging chickens in his neighbourhood has increased significantly since January, said Mr Leong, who is concerned about the odour from the birds and their droppings. One Kembangan resident, who wanted to be known only as Ms Ana, said the ...