SINGAPORE - A video of more than 30 rats scurrying around on a sandy patch next to the Bukit Batok MRT station has caused concern among some netizens.
Such a sight is uncommon in Singapore but some residents of Bukit Batok have been seeing it on a daily basis for some time.
Mr Ryan Keith Smith, who lives in the area, took pictures and a video of the rats on Dec 16. He uploaded the video on his Facebook page.
He also e-mailed photos of the rats to several parties, including the Choa Chu Kang Town Council, the National Environment Agency and MPs who serve in the constituency.
He also e-mailed photos of the rats to several parties, including the Choa Chu Kang Town Council, the National Environment Agency and MPs who serve in the constituency.
Pest controllers sent by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) were seen trapping the rats in cages on Thursday (Dec 18), but a resident and shop attendant downplayed the infestation as an "isolated case".
SINGAPORE: Pest controllers sent by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) were seen at a hill just beside the Bukit Batok MRT station on Thursday (Dec 18), in response to reports of a rat infestation.
More than 10 pest control officers from Star Pest Control were seen trapping the rats in cages, after they first arrived at around 8am. Star Pest Control manager Bernard Chan said they had sent two teams of people to treat the burrows where the rats were living in, and a few were caught when they ran out of the burrows.
"We were treating the burrows this morning, so a few of them ran out," said Mr Chan. "The 'active time' for the rats will be in the evening, when you will see more coming out."
"For the later part of the day, when we finish up the operation, we will eliminate the rats ... we will just kill them," he added, when asked what will happen to the trapped rats.
When Channel NewsAsia visited the area on Wednesday evening, more than 30 rats were seen scurrying about, although residents say that the number may sometimes be higher. The MRT station is adjacent to several food establishments, including McDonald's and a hawker centre.
RODENT SITUATION AN "ISOLATED CASE"
However, a sales assistant at Bakery Point, Ms Eileen Ng, told Channel NewsAsia on Thursday that business was not affected by the infestation and no rats were found on its premises.
A Bukit Batok resident, Ms Gina Cheng, also downplayed the infestation as an "isolated case", adding that she did not think the rats would go to other parts of Bukit Batok. However, she pointed out that the stray dogs might be most affected by the rat infestation.
"I'm more concerned about the safety of the stray dogs," said Ms Cheng. "They are certainly the victims here - they have nowhere to go except this hilltop. The rodents issue, yes, the town council has to settle, but more so (address) the safety of the stray dogs."
"It could be because some residents here feed the dogs in an irresponsible way, so the rodents go after the leftover food," she added.
On Tuesday, Bukit Batok resident Ryan Keith had recorded the rat infestation at Bukit Batok on video, saying that he saw more than 50 rats in 10 minutes.
SINGAPORE - Rat infestations will not stop unless people stop feeding stray dogs and leaving food around for the rodents to feast on.
The authorities said that even though they have been carrying out anti-pest operations, the problem won't go away unless people stop feeding the stray dogs in Bukit Batok, a joint statement released on Thursday by the Housing Development Board (HDB), the National Environment Agency (NEA), the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA), and Jurong Town Council stated.
发表于 17-12-2014 08:12 PM
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