Elderly man was fined $500 for cutting plastic straps to release crows from their cage

SINGAPORE: An elderly man obstructed an operation of a government agency when he cut the plastic straps securing the birdcages, causing the release of three crows. With this, he was fined $500 after pleading guilty. 

According to case details, the suspect went to Toa Payoh for a meal when he saw the birdcage being secured with a plastic cable as he passed by the grass. With a pair of scissors, he cut the ties to open the birdcage. A Wildlife Lead at Bird Management (WLBM) witnessed the suspect’s actions and warned him through a speaker. 

The suspect left afterwards, but the crows escaped. The police arrested the suspect after receiving a report from WLBM. 

The prosecution argued that obstructing the operation of government agencies have serious offence. However, the prosecution also pointed out that the birdcage was not damaged and the operation and performance of the Parks Board were not significantly affected. 

With this, they requested the judge to just impose a fine on the suspect. The suspect was fined $500 and has currently made a settlement of $370. 

Why are there bird cages?

The National Parks Board collaborated with Bird Management to control the number of domestic crows in Toa Payoh. They placed birdcages to trap crows, and the company staff inspected the birdcages. 

Other news related to crows

In similar news, there was a report where crows have been stealing food from a food centre, intelligently lifting paper towels that were covering the food and then pecking on leftovers. This raised public concerns about food safety and hygiene.

Read more about the story here.