Indian-origin woman fined for feeding pigeons in Singapore

A 70-year-old woman of Indian origin was fined SGD 1,200 (approximately USD 930) in Singapore on Wednesday for illegally feeding pigeons near her apartment.

The woman, identified as Sanmugamnathan Shamla, was also accused by an NPARKs prosecutor of disrupting a pigeon trapping exercise by chasing the birds away near her home. She pleaded guilty to two counts of feeding wild birds under the Wildlife Act, reported Channel News Asia (CNA).

Despite a court warning in 2020 after being charged with eight accounts, she kept feeding the birds till November 2024. She was let off with a stern warning after she agreed to stop.

Eleven similar charges, including one for obstructing the pigeon trapping operation, were also taken into account by the judge, according to a report in CNA.

SHAMALA WAS ASKED TO STOP EARLIER

Shamla was first caught when National Parks Board (NPARKs) enforcement officers conducted checks near her home at Lorong 4 Toa Payoh after receiving feedback. Tao Payoh is a town located in the northern part of the central region of Singapore.

At about 4 PM on April 11, 2023, NParks officers saw her feeding grain to wild birds and asked her to stop as this was illegal in Singapore.

Feeding wildlife without written approval from NParks’ Director-General of Wildlife Management is prohibited under the Wildlife Act in the country.

On February 19 this year, Shamla also hindered NParks officers carrying out a pigeon-trapping exercise near her home, according to the report. She used a metal pole to scare the pigeons off before they could be captured.

She continued to disrupt the trapping exercise and also raised her voice when officers asked her to stop, forcing the officers to abandon the exercise, NParks prosecutor Lim Chong Hui reportedly said.

‘RECALCITRANT OFFENDER’

Calling her a “recalcitrant offender”, the judge also said that the prosecution had sought a lower fine than usual, taking into account her personal circumstances and age.

When the judge told her she would have to serve two days in prison if she did not pay the fine, Shamla reportedly said, “I don’t think my health can handle prison.”

She paid the fine in full on Wednesday, according to the report.