Elderly Indian-origin woman fined for feeding pigeons in Singapore

A 70-year-old Indian-origin woman was fined SGD 1,200 (USD 930) on Wednesday for illegally feeding pigeons near her apartment block in Singapore. Sanmugamnathan Shamla pleaded guilty to two counts of feeding wild birds under the Wildlife Act, reported Channel News Asia.

Eleven similar charges, including for disrupting a National Parks Board (NParks) pigeon trapping exercise, were taken into consideration.

Shamla was caught when NParks enforcement officers conducted checks near her home at Lorong (Lane) 4 Toa Payoh.

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 an offence.

Under the Wildlife Act, it is illegal to feed wildlife without written approval from NParks' director-general of wildlife management.

Shamla continued to feed wild birds on multiple occasions until November 2024, even after the warning. On February 19, Shamla also hindered NParks officers carrying out a pigeon trapping exercise near her home, forcing them to abandon the exercise, NParks prosecutor Lim Chong Hui said. Lim told the court that in 2020, Shamla was charged with eight counts of feeding stray pigeons. She was let off with a stern warning after she agreed to stop.

Calling her a "recalcitrant offender", he also said that the prosecution had sought a lower fine than usual, taking into account her circumstances and age. A first-time offender who feeds wildlife without approval can be fined up to SGD 5,000. When the judge told her she would have to serve two days in prison if she did not pay the fine, Shamla said: "I don't think my health can handle prison."

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