Acres said the birds are now able to stand and eat on their own. - Photo: Screengrab from Facebook/BARSINGAPORE HELPLINE and ACRES
SINGAPORE: Two mynahs that were rescued by members of the public after they were found stuck in rat glue traps in Woodlands are now with the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES).
Their plight was first highlighted in a post on Wednesday (Feb 4) in Facebook group BAR Singapore Helpline, which is an acronym for bird alert and rescue, on the same day.
In a photo and a video accompanying the post, the birds can be seen laying on their sides, unable to move.
Their feathers appear to be ruffled and covered with an oily sheen. A plate of rice is also seen near them.
Facebook user Autumn Foo, who said in the Facebook group that she had alerted ACRES, also shared a photo of the birds placed in a white and blue box, awaiting rescue by the organisation.
In response to The Straits Times’ queries, Acres chief executive officer Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan said the two white-vented mynahs are undergoing treatment to remove the glue after they were found behind a coffee shop at Block 166 Woodlands Street 13.
He added that the birds are now able to stand and eat on their own.
“We send our appreciation to the public for helping the two birds,” he added.
He attributed the sheen seen on the birds to a possible attempt to lubricate the glue on them to free them.
Photos taken by ACRES at its facility later that day show the pair standing side by side, looking visibly stronger than before.
Kalai said birds trapped in glue take a long time to recover, and the process to remove all traces of glue is a long and stressful one.
He added that Acres receives at least one report of an animal stuck in a glue trap every day, with three or four on some days.
While glue traps are primarily used to trap rats, any animal that comes into contact with them will get stuck, he said, adding that Acres has rescued countless bird species, reptiles and mammals in these situations.
“Birds suffer the most as glue traps disable their ability to fly,” he said. “At its core, regardless of what animal gets caught, it is a slow and painful death.”
While there is a need to control the rodent population in Singapore, Kalai urged for certain measures to be put in place to reduce cruelty.
He advised the use of covered glue traps instead as these can prevent certain animals from getting stuck.
He also stressed the need to ensure that the glue traps used are provided by licensed pest control companies and that they are checked regularly.
In its 2025 roundup report released on Feb 2, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said there were fewer animal cruelty and welfare cases seen in 2025, down from a 12-year high the previous year.
SPCA investigated a total of 608 confirmed cases in 2025, a decline from the 961 in 2024.
It added that while the drop in cases was “encouraging”, the 2025 figure was “still alarming”, especially since it represented only the cases it was aware of. - The Straits Times/ANN
