Passer-by helpless after seeing hen guarding chicks inside Yishun monsoon drain
A passer-by has expressed disappointment over what he felt was a delayed response to an animal rescue case in Yishun on Jan 1.
Stomper Austin first spotted the birds in a monsoon drain opposite Khoo Teck Puat Hospital at around 6pm.
Afraid that the birds were stuck, he contacted the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) with photos and videos of the situation.
According to Austin, Acres arrived four hours later, explaining that they were tied up with another case. Acres staff attempted rescuing the birds using a long pole with a net, but the birds fled.
Austin said he was advised to contact the National Parks Board (NParks), which he did at around 11pm that same night.
Austin claimed NParks asked for a video taken in the morning and mentioned that permission from PUB was required to access the drain. As a result, no rescue attempt took place that night, according to Austin.
When officers arrived at around noon on Jan 2, Austin alleged that they used similar equipment to Acres, and left after one unsuccessful attempt to catch the birds.
"They said the birds looked fine and could be left as it is," Austin recounted, peeved by what he perceived as a lack of urgency.
He asked: "How can we improve response times and coordination for animal rescues and actually have them rescued?"
Austin told Stomp that he would have rescued the birds himself if he could.
He has not shared his feedback with the relevant agencies, but hopes that publicity will spark action.
ACRES highlights challenges faced in rescues
In response to a Stomp query, Acres confirmed it received a call about the stranded chickens.
"A hen was seen guarding her chicks inside a canal drain which was more than three metres in height," Acres' chief executive Kalaivanan Balakhrishnan said.
He added that in 2025, Acres received more than 16,000 hotline calls and rescued about 4,000 animals, the majority of them birds. New Year's Day was no different, with back-to-back calls for assistance.
Seeking the public's understanding, Mr Kalai said: "Our rescue team operates with one van and we can only attend to one case at a time as a charity organisation."
Additionally, canals pose safety risks to rescuers, and this particular rescue effort was limited by night-time visibility.
"The team attempted to remotely net the chickens, but the hen could fly," Mr Kalai explained. "Due to safety concerns, we were unable to proceed further and advised the caller to update us if the birds were still seen the next day."
He added that wild chickens are able to fly short distances within a few days of hatching and that it was possible the birds could fly out of the canal on their own.
Mr Kalai noted that Acres has also attempted difficult rescues, including those of chickens.
Stomp has reached out to NParks for more info.
