SINGAPORE — The National Parks Board (NParks) is facing two separate negligence lawsuits involving public safety — one brought by a woman who says she suffered serious injuries after being attacked by a wild boar in Bukit Panjang, and another involving two people who allegedly fell over a temporary cable cover at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
Both cases are pending before Singapore’s State Courts, meaning the allegations have yet to be tested and no finding of negligence has been made against NParks.
The wild boar case stems from an incident on May 1, 2023, when Durga Devi Subramaniam said she was attacked at about 11.50pm at a bus stop along Bangkit Road in Bukit Panjang.
According to her statement of claim, she was bitten and thrown repeatedly by the animal, suffering injuries to her right calf, fingers, palm and buttocks. She was taken by ambulance to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and subsequently underwent several surgical procedures, including surgery to her hand and leg and microsurgical repair of nerve branches.
A medical report filed in court stated that she suffered permanent disability to her right hand as a result of the nerve injury. She also underwent physiotherapy and follow-up treatment.
Subramaniam filed the lawsuit against NParks on April 29, 2026, seeking damages that include medical and transport expenses, loss of earnings, future medical costs and compensation for alleged loss of earning capacity.
Her claim includes S$7,407.32 in medical and transport expenses and S$32,027.38 in pre-trial loss of earnings, while the overall damages sought include a stated amount of S$39,827.10 as part of her claim, with other damages to be assessed by the court.
NParks disputes the negligence claim
NParks is contesting the lawsuit.
The agency says it has taken what it considers reasonable measures to manage Singapore’s wild boar population and reduce risks to public safety. Its wildlife management measures include monitoring populations, public education, action against illegal wildlife feeding, habitat modification and removing wild boars when necessary.
NParks also pointed to a significant detail surrounding the night of the attack.
According to its defence, a traffic accident report recorded a wild boar being struck by a vehicle along the same stretch of road at about 11.45pm, roughly five minutes before the alleged attack. The animal was later found with significant injuries.
NParks argues that those circumstances were beyond its control. It also alleges, in the alternative, that Subramaniam contributed to the incident by failing to keep a proper lookout, maintain a safe distance and take reasonable precautions around the animal.
The attack came amid a wider wild boar problem
The 2023 incident was not isolated.
In June 2023, another person was attacked by a wild boar at Zhenghua Nature Park. The 40-year-old victim suffered a leg wound that required more than 20 stitches.
Following the two attacks, NParks stepped up efforts to prevent wild boars from entering residential areas. By July 2023, authorities said 19 wild boars had been trapped and removed from the Bukit Panjang area.
NParks also installed exclusion fences and cattle grids at key access points around Zhenghua Nature Park. The measures were designed to stop wild boars from crossing into residential areas while still allowing smaller wildlife to move through the surrounding environment.
Authorities have explained that wild boars can appear in Bukit Panjang because of the area’s proximity to forested areas and nature reserves, even though the estate and adjacent Zhenghua Nature Park were not considered to have a resident wild boar population.
A separate lawsuit involves the Singapore Botanic Gardens
The second case concerns an incident at the Singapore Botanic Gardens on July 27, 2025.
According to court documents cited by CNA, Lim Fon Kui and Wong Sung Mui said they were walking beside Swan Lake toward the Tanglin Gate car park at around noon when they tripped over a temporary cable cover placed across a pedestrian pathway.
Both were taken by ambulance to the National University Hospital.
Lim reportedly suffered bruising to his right shoulder and knee, while Wong suffered a fractured right knee and abrasions to her right wrist.
The pair are seeking general and special damages, including more than S$11,000 in medical expenses, as well as other costs including transportation and damaged spectacles.
They allege that NParks created a tripping hazard by allowing electrical cables to cross the pedestrian route and failed to ensure that the cover did not protrude into the path, provide sufficient warnings or reroute the cables.
NParks denies negligence.
The agency says the cable cover was installed by a subcontractor working for Pico Art International, which had been engaged for a festival. NParks maintains that the cover was a standard safety device designed to protect electrical cables crossing pedestrian areas and had gently sloping edges and a bright yellow strip to make it visible.
NParks also argues that the incident happened in daylight and that it was entitled to rely on the contractor to install and manage the temporary infrastructure safely.
What happens next?
The two lawsuits are scheduled for mention on August 21, 2026.
At this stage, neither case establishes that NParks was negligent. The court will ultimately have to consider the competing claims, evidence and legal arguments before determining whether the agency bears liability.
The cases nevertheless highlight a difficult issue facing Singapore: how authorities can balance public safety with the management of wildlife and public spaces in a city where residential estates, parks and nature reserves often sit close together.
Singapore has previously said it takes a science- and community-based approach to wild boar management. Measures have included exclusion fencing, cattle grids, habitat modification, public education and the removal of animals when necessary.
For members of the public, NParks advises people who encounter wild boars to remain calm, keep a safe distance and avoid approaching or provoking them. People who are attacked or bitten should seek medical attention immediately.
The bigger question now is whether the measures already taken were enough — and whether the courts will ultimately find NParks legally responsible for what happened.
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