Public Education for Living in Harmony with Wildlife

Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for National Development (a) what efforts are being planned to educate Singaporeans about living in harmony with wildlife; and (b) whether such efforts are being included in primary school education.

NParks works closely with the community to promote harmonious human-wildlife co-existence, as part of our efforts to transform Singapore into a City in Nature. Public education and outreach are key thrusts of NParks’ wildlife management approach.

A key focus area is to discourage the feeding of wildlife. Intentional feeding or irresponsibly discarding food waste can alter the natural foraging behaviour of wildlife, and lead them to rely on humans for an easy source of food. To raise awareness on the negative impact of feeding wildlife, NParks launched the island-wide “Say No to Feeding Wildlife” campaign in January this year. NParks also works closely with other public agencies, grassroots organisations and Town Councils to engage the community on proper refuse management, and to deter illegal wildlife feeding. NParks also works with these stakeholders to develop educational resources, and on outreach initiatives to advise the community on how to respond to wildlife sightings.

NParks will continue to step up its efforts to educate the community, including young Singaporeans, on these issues. This includes working with schools, ranging from pre-schools to tertiary institutions, to engage students through assembly talks, school plays, learning journeys and final-year projects, amongst other initiatives. NParks has also developed educational resources such as story books, videos, and exhibition panels to aid educators in teaching students about appropriate human-wildlife interactions. These programmes and resources complement the science curriculum by enabling students to appreciate the diversity and interactions between different flora and fauna, as well as to show care and responsibility towards the environment.

NParks will continue to take a science-based approach in promoting harmonious human-wildlife co-existence. This includes carrying out population surveys and research studies to better understand the distribution of wildlife in Singapore, so that proper mitigation measures can be taken where needed. NParks, together with other agencies, will continue to put in place measures to safeguard public safety and health.

All of us need to play our part to live in harmony with wildlife. We can do this by not feeding wildlife, keeping our residential areas clean, and appreciating wildlife from a safe distance.