SINGAPORE, Feb 24 — After a five-year hiatus, Singapore will resume crow shooting operations from the second half of March to tackle a surging population and a sharp rise in attacks on residents.

According to CNA, the announcement was made yesterday by Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat, following consultations with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Singapore Police Force.

Culling using shotguns was halted in 2020 after incidents where pellets accidentally struck nearby homes. However, Minister Chee stated that alternative methods have failed to keep the situation under control.

“In 2025 alone, the Municipal Services Office received about 15,000 crow-related feedback, three times more than in 2020,” Mr. Chee said, highlighting the escalating problem. Reports of crows attacking people have also increased fourfold over the same period, exceeding 2,000 cases last year.

“If the crow population continues to grow, it will affect the safety of our residents, as there will be more and more crow-related attacks,” he added. “I have therefore asked NParks to bring back shooting as one of the measures.”

While acknowledging the inherent risks of using shotguns, Chee assured that strict safety protocols would be enforced. 

Licensed wildlife management contractors certified in firearms handling will conduct the operations under stringent controls. These include firing only in an upward direction, cordoning off zones with clear signage, and deploying sufficient safety personnel to prevent public access during culling sessions.

The resumption of shooting will complement existing population control efforts. 

Data from the National Parks Board (NParks) shows these measures have been significantly ramped up. In 2025, close to 9,000 crow nests were removed islandwide, a dramatic increase from just over 600 in 2021. The number of crows trapped and removed also rose sharply, from more than 1,800 in 2021 to over 13,000 in 2025.

Despite these efforts, NParks noted that the measures have proven inadequate on their own to curb the growth of the house crow (Corvus splendens). An invasive species not native to Singapore, the house crow is highly adaptable to urban environments and poses a threat to local biodiversity. They are known to become aggressive in defence of their young, leading to attacks on passers-by.

The decision to resume shooting comes years after previous culling programmes were halted. In the early 2010s, volunteer shooters from the Singapore Gun Club saw their licences go unrenewed. Later, auxiliary police officers from Certis CISCO were used, but that practice ended after an officer was jailed for shooting crows without a safety officer present.

Public feedback on crow management has been mixed. While many residents have complained about the birds, some operations have faced opposition. In October 2025, a 77-year-old man was fined S$500 (RM1,538) for cutting the cable ties on an NParks bird trap in Toa Payoh, accusing the board of animal cruelty.

Minister Chee expressed hope that the multi-pronged approach would yield results. “Together with the other ongoing measures such as trapping and nest removal, I hope that the resumption of shooting can help to bring down the crow population in different parts of Singapore, and provide a safer environment for our residents.”