‘Recalcitrant’ woman fined S$9,000 for feeding pigeons 17 times after previous conviction

When the National Parks Board (NParks) conducted surveillance to monitor her feeding, she was spotted feeding pigeons in Tanjong Pagar and Chai Chee multiple times between May and July last year.

During investigations, she admitted to her acts and acknowledged that she knew feeding wildlife was an offence, but said she continued to do so out of “compassion”.

The NParks prosecutor sought a fine of S$9,000 for Yuen, at S$1,500 per proceeded charge. This was an increase from the S$1,200 per proceeded charge meted out in her last conviction.

She said Yuen had resumed feeding pigeons shortly after her conviction, demonstrating “clear recalcitrant behaviour”.

“There is a public health risk to her actions,” said the prosecutor, adding that pigeons carry serious diseases and that their droppings contaminate the environment.

The feeding can also attract disease-carrying pests.

Feeding pigeons from a residential unit directly affects neighbours through bird flocks and droppings, with a high likelihood of pest infestation and disease transmission, said the prosecutor.

Residential feeding is also harder to detect, as offenders are partially concealed in their homes, she said.

In mitigation, Yuen said only that she pleaded guilty. She asked to pay in instalments and was allowed to pay S$4,500 up front and the rest by May.

For each charge of intentionally feeding wildlife, she could have been fined up to S$10,000 as a repeat offender.

CNA reported this week that seniors are responsible for about half of all illegal bird-feeding cases. NParks received reports of nearly 320 cases of illegal bird-feeding a year between 2023 and 2025.