Forum contributor Ong Yao Min highlighted valid points about coexisting with wildlife (Growing a 'city in nature' needs careful management, Nov 26).

In Melbourne, Australia, where I lived and worked for more than half a decade, during the magpies' breeding season every spring, residents have to put up with "swooping season" - the territorial birds swoop on people to protect their eggs and offspring.

This is a real hazard for people, with regular reports of injuries caused by swooping magpies, including clawing and eye wounds.

But despite this, there has not been public calls for the magpies to be culled. In fact, all wildlife native to Victoria state is protected by law - it is illegal to harass or harm native birds and other wildlife.

There is, instead, public education. There are interactive maps to create awareness of swooping areas to help people avoid venturing into magpie territories, as well as tips to protect against clawing and other swooping-related injuries, such as by wearing helmets or carrying umbrellas.

There may still be the odd occasion when an encounter with wildlife requires calibrated human intervention.

Attacks by wild boars and marauding monkeys, for instance, may mean that their populations have become too big to be sustainable. These animals may have to be captured, or appropriate countermeasures may have to be taken.

In Singapore, the matter of coexisting with wildlife certainly could be further studied, and Singaporeans can be engaged through public education, complementing what animal welfare groups are already doing.

It is said that the morality of a nation can often be judged by the way it treats its animals.

Woon Wee Min