SINGAPORE - Sometimes, it pays to be slow.
A tortoise that was trying to cross the road in the midst of busy traffic along Ang Mo Kio Ave 5 was rescued by two motorists on the morning of March 22.
A dashboard camera of a vehicle captured the moment the reptile was crawling slowly across the right-most lane of the three-lane road, just before a traffic crossing.
In the video, a motorcyclist is seen pulling over at the grass verge, about 30cm in front of the reptile, as a lorry comes to a halt in the next lane.
The biker’s pillion alights on the verge, before the motorcyclist signals to the lorry driver and then carefully picks up the tortoise with both hands. He then places it in the bed of the lorry - which has a Lalamove decal on its side - and the heavy vehicle drives off after the driver gives a wave to acknowledge the patience of the other drivers who had stopped behind him.
This video was uploaded onto the Singapore Road Vigilante Facebook page and it is unclear from the footage whether the animal is a tortoise or terrapin but it was labelled a tortoise in the caption of the video.
Some netizens praised the motorists for their act of mercy.
“Good to see a good deed, instead of an accident,” said Facebook user Barath Faust.
The tortoise was fortunate to escape the tragic fate that fell on some macaques in recent incidents.
In a video uploaded on the Singapore Road Accidents Facebook page on March 20, a troop of monkeys is seen darting across the road. One of them is hit by an incoming car, and tumbles forward. Another monkey is seen weaving through traffic and sliding under a black car to cross the road.
A monkey was hit by an incoming car when it darted across the road. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM SINGAPORE ROADS ACCIDENT.COM/FACEBOOK
In a separate post on March 22 uploaded on the same page, a user recalls witnessing a “horrifying event” - a baby monkey being run over by a small van near Upper Pierce Reservoir Park.
He called for all motorists to slow down when driving near forested areas to allow wild animals, such as monkeys or pangolins, to cross the road safely.
NParks had previously urged the public to stay vigilant while driving in areas known for wildlife crossings, such as Mandai.
The board advises against handling injured wild animals and encourages the public to report urgent wildlife rescue cases to the 24-hour Animal Response Centre on 1800-476-1600 or www.avs.org.sg/feedback.
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Thanks for sharing!