When a mynah bird sneezes, Singaporeans will catch more than a cold

The recent news that neither the National Environment Agency (NEA) nor the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) is responsible for the culling of mynah birds is quite a worrying sign in Singapore's preparedness for another possible and probable bird flu epidemic.  

In Feb 2009, a dead Crested Myna found in Tung Ping Chau, Hong Kong, was confirmed to be H5N1 positive after a series of laboratory tests. 

If mynah birds, in Singapore, were found to carry the bird flu or an even deadlier form of the H1N1 virus, are we to stay calm and wait for the official news release to inform the remaining surviving Singaporeans that a committee of inquiry will be set up to decide which department is responsible for the culling of the mynah birds?

Wrote Ng Puay Leng, Channel NewsAsia, 

Crows come under the purview of the National Environment Agency (NEA) while the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) handles complaints of nuisance with pigeons.

But it gets a little complicated when it comes to mynahs.

Stall holders said the number of mynahs in their coffee shop has more than doubled in the past two years.

And when they approached the NEA and AVA, both agencies said they are not in charge of handling the birds. 

Both the NEA and AVA confirmed this with Channel NewsAsia.

I am simply amazed that Ng Puay Leng did not ask the two authorities who will be in charge if the bird flu virus was found in the mynah birds patronising the coffee shops.

But if Singaporeans decided to take the culling of mynah birds into their own hands, the everythingalsocomplain.com blog has found that you are you’re legally exempted from penalty when you kill or trap the common mynah bird.

But I do caution you to take bio-hazardous approved equipment in handling the culled mynahs and not with your bare hands.