NParks sued over alleged wild boar attack that left woman with permanent hand disability, Singapore News

Separate lawsuit: Botanic Gardens fall

In a separate case, Lim Fon Kui and Wong Sung Mui are suing NParks over a fall at the Singapore Botanic Gardens on July 27, 2025.

The pair said they were walking beside Swan Lake towards the Tanglin Gate car park when they tripped over a temporary cable cover that had been installed across a pathway for a festival.

Lim suffered bruising on his right shoulder and right knee, according to medical reports filed with the claim. A separate medical report also states that Wong fractured her right knee and sustained abrasions to her right wrist.

The pair are alleging that NParks’ negligence created a tripping hazard by laying electrical cables in a cover across a walkway used by members of the public, according to CNA.

They added that the agency failed to ensure the cable cover did not protrude out of the path nor did it provide adequate warning signs and reroute the cables so they did not encroach on the walking path.

CNA said the pair are seeking general and special damages, including medical expenses totalling more than S$11,000. The claims include a damaged pair of spectacles, transport expenses to and from hospitals, as well as interest and costs. 

NParks contests allegations

The agency has denied all allegations of negligence.

Concerning Durga’s case, NParks reportedly said that it had exercised “all reasonable efforts” to manage Singapore’s wild boar population and the risks to public health and safety, according to CNA.

It pointed to measures including population monitoring, public education, enforcement against illegal wildlife feeding, removal of wild boars when necessary and habitat modification to reduce food sources that attract the animals.

The agency also trapped and put down 19 wild boars in Bukit Panjang by July 2023, following the attack on Durga in May and a then 40-year-old man in June that year.

NParks added that the incident was beyond its control and that it had taken all reasonable measures expected of a public authority responsible for wildlife management.

The agency went on to contend that Durga’s own actions could have possibly contributed to the incident, including that she failed to keep a proper lookout, take reasonable care for her own safety, and keep a safe distance from the wild boar and pay attention at all times, CNA reported.

As for Lim and Wong’s case, the agency reportedly said that the cable cover was installed by a subcontractor of Pico Art International, who was engaged for the festival. 

According to CNA, the agency added that the cover was a standard design commonly used to safely route electrical cables across pedestrian areas and that Pico had a long track record of handling large-scale public events.

NParks also said that the cover had gently sloping edges and a bright yellow strip to improve visibility and reduce the risk of tripping over exposed electrical cables.

The agency also noted that incident allegedly occurred around noon, when the cable cover was clearly visible in daylight.

It reportedly denied being vicariously liable for any act or omission by the contractor as it was entitled to rely on Pico to install and manage the temporary event infrastructure safely and properly.

NParks countered that Lim and Wong had caused or contributed to their accident by failing to keep a proper lookout and avoid what it described as an “open and obvious” feature on the pathway.

Both cases are slated to be heard in court on Aug 21.

When contacted, NParks told AsiaOne they are unable to comment on the case as it is ongoing.

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laili.abdeen@asiaone.com