CNA spoke to mental health professionals, animal welfare groups and the authorities about what drives people to abuse animals, if such acts can be prevented, and how they are investigated.
These characteristics often manifest in those with psychiatric conditions, such as antisocial personality disorder in adults. Psychiatrist Lim Boon Leng concurred that people with antisocial or psychopathic features have little empathy towards animals. These people can fail to understand the context of their behaviour, Dr Wang said."You need some higher brain function to control, to manage your emotions, so those with low IQ, they have more anger outbursts.”
"Abusers often share some characteristics and experiences. These can include a history of early traumatic experiences such as abuse, neglect, or substance abuse, as well as a history of domestic violence or bullying," said Dr Chow.If left unchecked, cruel behaviour may escalate in frequency and severity, and may also be projected on fellow humans, the experts said.
Animal Concerns Research and Education Society co-CEO Anbarasi Boopal said she has come across such situations. “Somehow when it comes to animals like snakes and monitor lizards, people tend to put their fear in front and any actions done to them become justifiable,” said Ms Anbarasi. When people observe ACRES officers holding a snake, they find that it is not as scary as they first perceive it to be, she said, adding that no wild animal in Singapore preys on humans.
Men filmed hitting and using a cleaver on a python at Boon Lay Place Market on Apr 18, 2023, according to animal group ACRES. “You have four or five big men attacking a python, so you have this power of control or maybe they get satisfaction in inflicting violence on the python, and they know that the python can’t do anything back to them.
“Back when I started volunteering, the CWS saw a lot more community cats on the streets and there was overpopulation just in the community. “Over time as the sterilisation program has matured and more caregivers have stepped up, we see that the population on the ground is more controlled. "An inquisitive mind is when you want to go and touch a dog to feel what it feels like, or you want to touch a snake because it looks slithery to you.”
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