SINGAPORE, Oct 7 — Singapore authorities are investigating after videos appeared to show a woman taping up a mynah’s beak, wings and legs before “scolding” the bird for repeatedly entering her home and eating her food.

In one of the clips, the woman can be heard telling the restrained bird: “I’ll untie you if you admit you have been bad.”

The National Parks Board (NParks) told The Straits Times that it had launched an investigation and was speaking to relevant parties after the videos surfaced on social media last week.

Jessica Kwok, the board’s group director for enforcement and investigation, said “appropriate action will be taken if any wrongdoing is established”.

NParks, Singapore’s lead agency for wildlife and animal health, added that it takes all reports of suspected animal cruelty seriously.

The footage was posted on Facebook on September 29, although the post has since become unavailable, according to The Straits Times.

Three of the four videos appeared to show the bird, believed to be a mynah, restrained with tape around its beak, wings and legs.

The woman, whose face was not shown, claimed the bird had repeatedly flown into her home to eat her food.

In the first clip, she referred to the bird as “huai dan”, a Chinese expression used to describe someone who has behaved badly.

As the bird shrieked, she told it she would untie it if it admitted wrongdoing.

Another clip appeared to show her prodding the restrained bird inside a plastic bag while saying in Hokkien that it had tried to bite her after being caught.

A third video showed the bird inside a shoebox with holes in its lid. The woman claimed she had attempted to release it, but that it would not fly away.

In the final clip, the bird was seen flying off immediately after the lid of the box was opened.

Text accompanying the videos reportedly described the animal as a “bold little mynah” and “Gordon Ramsay on a mission”.

“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 home-cooked meal,” the post said.

A screenshot of what appeared to be a family group chat was also shared, in which one person wrote: “whoever did this... committed animal abuse, criminal offence”.

Another person replied that the bird had been caught after “it come inside, s*** everywhere” and “go in our pot to eat our food”.

Animal welfare groups have condemned the treatment.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) told The Straits Times it was particularly concerned by “the apparent intentional nature of the act”.

“An animal entering a home, no matter how frustrating or inconvenient, can never justify cruelty,” it said.

The group added that attempting to punish an animal in such a way was “fundamentally misguided”, as animals do not necessarily connect an action with punishment in the same way humans might expect.

“Causing suffering under these circumstances serves no constructive purpose,” SPCA said.

It advised residents to prevent birds from entering homes by covering food, keeping rubbish in sealed bins and installing window mesh or other barriers where necessary.

If a bird does enter a home, it should be calmly guided towards an exit without being harmed, the group said.