A 70-year-old woman of Indian origin was fined SGD 1,200 in Singapore on Wednesday, May 28, for repeatedly feeding pigeons near her apartment block, in violation of the country’s Wildlife Act.
The woman, Sanmugamnathan Shamla, pleaded guilty to two counts of feeding wild birds, as reported by Channel News Asia.
The case was heard in court, where it was revealed that Shamla had continued feeding birds despite warnings. A total of eleven other similar charges were taken into consideration, including one incident where she disrupted a pigeon trapping exercise conducted by officers from the National Parks Board (NParks).
The incident occurred near her home at Lorong 4 Toa Payoh.
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On April 11, 2023, NParks officers observed Shamla feeding grain to wild birds and asked her to stop, explaining that such actions are illegal under the Wildlife Act unless written approval is obtained from the director-general of wildlife management. However, she persisted in her actions on multiple occasions until as late as November 2024.
In another incident on February 19, 2024, Shamla hindered NParks officers as they carried out a pigeon trapping operation, forcing them to abandon their activity. The NParks prosecutor informed the court that Shamla had previously been charged in 2020 with eight counts of feeding stray pigeons but was let off with a stern warning after she agreed to stop the activity.
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The court considered her age and circumstances before imposing the fine, which was lower than the usual penalty for such offences. Under Singapore’s Wildlife Act, a first-time offender found feeding wildlife without authorisation can be fined up to SGD 5,000.
When informed by the judge that she would face two days in prison if she did not pay the fine, Shamla expressed concern over her health. She ultimately paid the fine in full on the same day.
