SINGAPORE – Residents of Springside Park in Seletar who thought they might have a rat problem can breathe a sigh of relief.
They do have a “furry little problem”. But the rodents that were spotted were revealed to be shrews, rather than rats.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament Lee Bee Wah said that officers from the National Parks’ Board (NParks) pest control team had learned about the shrews after visiting the park at night.
“They’ve explained to some residents that shrews are harmless to humans, and eat insects like cockroaches,” Ms Lee wrote, adding that some residents requested that the shrews not be killed.
Ms Lee said that she had never heard of shrews before, and that NParks will keep monitoring the situation.
Shrews are small, nocturnal mammals with cylindrical bodies, short and slender limbs and clawed digits. According to website WildSingapore, they are often mistaken as rats, but can be differentiated from the pests by its pointed muzzles and small eyes.
The residents had good reason to be worried, however. In February, the National Environment Agency revealed that they had received about 6,700 complaints about rats last year, up from around 4,000 in 2014.
The problem came to light following reports of a rat infestation on a hill next to Bukit Batok MRT station in late 2014. More recently, 20 rat burrows were found along a footpath near a temple in Bukit Batok in April this year.
Ryan Keith Smith’s Facebook page, Lianhe Wanbao, Lianhe Zaobao, The New Paper, The Straits Times, Facebook video screengrabs
seanyap@sph.com.sg
