--- title: "Woman tapes up myna and ‘lectures’ it for entering kitchen in Facebook video, ACRES and SPCA call for thorough investigation" url: "/singapore-seen/woman-tapes-myna-and-lectures-it-entering-kitchen-facebook-video-acres-deeply-disturbed" published: "2026-10-01T04:07:39.000Z" updated: "2026-10-07T02:10:07.000Z" section: "Singapore Seen" authors: ["Cherry Tan"] tags: ["Singapore Seen","mynah","animal abuse","animal welfare","bird","myna"] --- # Woman tapes up myna and ‘lectures’ it for entering kitchen in Facebook video, ACRES and SPCA call for thorough investigation *A Facebook video showing a myna with a taped-up beak and restrained wings has been reported to the National Parks Board (NParks).* A Facebook video showing a myna with a taped-up beak and restrained wings has been reported to the National Parks Board (NParks), in an incident one man has described as “distressing”. The Facebook post was brought to Stomper Harvey’s attention on Sept 29 by his wife, who had come across it on her Facebook timeline. In the post, a man shared: “... this bold little Myna thought it could invade our kitchen like it owned the place… strutting in, eyeing our wok like Gordon Ramsay on a mission.” According to him, the “Lady Boss of the House” — believed to be the poster’s wife — got its wings “gently clipped”. “The bird didn’t just get caught… it got a full-on TED Talk lecture about manners, respect, and why you don’t mess with someone’s homecook meal,” wrote the post. An accompanying video shows a myna with its beak taped shut with what looks like masking tape. Its legs and wings also appear to be restrained. The wide-eyed bird struggles and screeches in a plastic bag as a hand reaches down to poke and prod at it, while a female voice in the background tells the bird off for being “naughty” for attempting to steal food as she was cooking. “You steal my food and you still dare to bite me,” she says in one video. “I hit you...,” she says in another video where the myna appears defeated. “Make noise lor, see how you can move when you’re taped up,” she adds. In another video, a woman can be heard saying that she had secured the bird in a box and was waiting for a family member to return so that they could set it free. “I put it inside, but it wants to escape,” she says. As the bird pokes its beak out of a hole in the lid, she asks if it wants to drink water. In a screenshot of what appears to be a family group chat, one member of the group wrote: “Whoever did this... committed animal abuse offence.” Another suggested letting the bird go. Someone identified as “daughter” explained that the bird had entered the home, left its droppings “everywhere”, and eaten food from their pot. ![Woman tapes up myna and ‘lectures’ it for entering kitchen in ‘distressing’ FB video, ACRES ‘deeply disturbed’](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/676daed5bde692e9f5a7f6bde1a9963f71534395b600b76710e0f15cca167925) *One member of the group had written: “Whoever did this... committed animal abuse offence.”* “Not to worry la... after the lesson, it was released back into the wild, free as ever; but definitely with a new PhD in ‘Kitchen Etiquette 101’,” the post read. Another video shows the bird being released from a box with many holes cut out of the lid. “Good grief,” exclaimed a voice in the background. Harvey described the videos as “distressing”. He added: “Cannot imagine how much worse it was for the myna. Looks like the nostrils were also covered by the tape.” The Stomper was upset and angry that the original poster had passed off animal cruelty as “acceptable and light-hearted”. He subsequently reported the video to NParks. ![Woman tapes up myna and ‘lectures’ it for entering kitchen in ‘distressing’ FB video, ACRES ‘deeply disturbed’](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/25f2a13c1ab5574cdccff939f7cce0b171a5cd8579ae7975c3c5fc177bb1fef1) *The post said the bird had been “lectured” and subsequently set free.* ## ACRES chief ‘deeply disturbed’, urges thorough investigation In response to Stomp’s queries, Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) chief executive Kalaivanan Balakrishnan said on Oct 1 that the organisation is “deeply disturbed” by the video, which it understands has been reported to NParks. The ACRES chief stressed that such cruelty cannot be justified. “A bird entering someone’s home does not deserve to be forcibly restrained, taped up and mistreated.” “We urge a thorough investigation and, if an offence is established, a penalty that reflects the seriousness of the act and serves as a strong deterrent,” said Kalai. Singapore’s Animals and Birds Act provides for offences involving cruelty to animals, including acts that cause unnecessary pain or suffering. ACRES believes protections must be upheld, regardless of whether the animal is a beloved pet or a common wild bird. “Being a myna does not make their suffering any less real, nor should it make cruelty any less serious. “No animal should be considered undeserving of protection simply because it is common or perceived as a nuisance,” said Kalai. ## SPCA condemns treatment of myna, says it’s ‘wholly unacceptable’ Meanwhile, in its statement to Stomp on Oct 2, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Singapore confirmed that it is aware of the post, which has since either been removed or made private. The organisation described the treatment of the myna in the video as “deeply disturbing” and “wholly unacceptable”. It emphasised: “The SPCA strongly condemns any deliberate act that subjects an animal to fear, distress, or suffering in the name of ‘teaching it a lesson’. An animal entering a home, no matter how frustrating or inconvenient, can never justify cruelty.” The SPCA pointed out the apparent intentional nature of the act, which it finds “troubling”. It explained that deliberately restraining the bird as punishment is “cruel, unnecessary, and completely at odds with the responsible and humane treatment of animals that we should expect in our community”. Since the post is no longer publicly accessible, the SPCA is unable to establish the identity of those involved or verify the full circumstances surrounding the incident. If investigations require legal powers to identify an account holder or trace the original source of a video, the relevant authorities must investigate the matter. The SPCA has thus referred the case to NParks and will provide any information available that may assist in determining what happened and whether further action is warranted. The organisation added: “Punishment of this nature is also fundamentally misguided. Animals do not necessarily make the same connection between an action and subsequent punishment that people may expect them to. The animals suffer the fear and distress inflicted upon them without necessarily understanding why they are being subjected to such treatment. Causing suffering under these circumstances serves no constructive purpose.” It suggested other humane and effective ways to prevent birds from entering homes, such as covering food and securing rubbish in bins with proper lids. Should a bird still enter, residents should calmly and gently guide it towards an exit point without harming it. Persistent incursions can be addressed with window mesh, magnetic screens or other physical barriers that can prevent birds from entering altogether. Noting that Singapore is home to wildlife that shares our increasingly urban environment, the SPCA said that encounters between people and animals are inevitable. Coexistence thus requires patience and practical adjustments, but never deliberate infliction of fear, distress or suffering simply because an animal’s presence is inconvenient. Closing its message, the SPCA reiterated: “Cruelty is not pest management. Punishment is not coexistence. There is no justification for deliberately causing an animal to suffer when humane alternatives are readily available. “The SPCA takes incidents of this nature seriously and urges members of the public who witness suspected animal cruelty to report it promptly, together with any available photographs, videos, or other information that may assist investigations.” ## NParks investigating matter In response to a Stomp query, NParks confirmed that it is aware of a Facebook post of a myna that was taped up and placed in a bag. The agency said: “We are currently investigating the matter and are in the process of speaking with the relevant parties involved. Appropriate action will be taken if any wrongdoing is established.” NParks emphasised that it takes all feedback received from the public on animal cruelty seriously. Stomp has reached out to the original poster for comment. Editor’s note: This article was updated with responses from the SPCA and NParks.