A woman in Singapore was seriously injured after crows attacked her. The birds targeted the woman's head and she was soon rushed to Changi General Hospital with lacerations on her forehead.
"My daughter told me she saw three or four children feeding crows," a woman, who heard the victim screaming, told The New Paper on Wednesday. "The crows flew around and attacked a woman. There was a lot of blood on the woman's head. The blood had splattered on the ground and she was screaming," she added.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it was informed about the incident at Block 106, Pasir Ris Street 12 at around 7.10 pm on Tuesday. The neighbours claim that the woman, in her 40s, was not the only one who was attacked by those crows that day. A 41-year-old civil servant Ian Ng and his parents were also attacked by crows in the vicinity while on their way to a night market.
"I saw a baby crow lying on the ground and four or five big crows perched on shelters and lamp posts. The crows swooped down when people walked into the area. A crow went for my head. I got a shock," Ng said.
He added that his 77-year-old father was attacked twice but fortunately they did not suffer any serious injuries. "The crows attacked us with their beaks, but luckily it was not painful," the younger Ng said. He said he informed the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA).
When asked about the incident, AVA said it received two calls regarding crow attacks on Tuesday and it has already activated its contractor to conduct crow management works. It added that one crow nest has already been removed.
"We will continue to monitor the situation, and conduct surveillance and operations within the area," AVA said. "The public can do their part by not feeding the birds and ensuring proper food waste disposal. Easily available food sources will encourage the birds to congregate and result in an increase in their numbers, which could result in related nuisance and hygiene issues," it added.
The New Paper reported that bloodstains were found on Wednesday morning at void deck of Block 105, but no crows were spotted there. Chong Joo Chong, a Block 103 resident, said he was attacked by a crow on Wednesday afternoon.
"A huge crow went for my head thrice. It was aggressive. I saw another man being attacked by two big crows and a small one," Chong said. "It felt like someone was pushing my head with a lot of force."
Reports said last year AVA received about 320 calls regarding crow attacks while in 2015, it received around 500 calls. The authorities said the members of the public can call 1800-4761-600 to report crow attacks or crow-related issues.
