SINGAPORE - Singapore may strike some as a concrete city, but stray chickens have been seen wandering around various parts of the island in recent months.

A concerned member of the public living in the Stirling View and Mei Ling Road neighbourhood in Queenstown had wrote in to Stomp recently to report several sightings of chickens in the neighbourhood.

She highlighted the issue to the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) and the town council, but attempts to catch the birds were reportedly not successful.

When contacted, an AVA spokesman said it had received three cases of feedback related to rooster sightings in the Stirling Road area in 2015 and was working with the relevant town council to carry out surveillance and control operations.

AVA also stressed that non-commercial poultry are not allowed to roam freely due to the threat of bird flu.

"They are to be caged properly and prevented from contact with any bird, poultry or animal from outside of the enclosure or home," said the spokesman.

Stray chickens also appear to be thriving in the Fort Canning area.

According to Mr B. L. Koh, who goes on regular jogs in the vicinity, stray chickens can be spotted at three locations - near the Fort Canning Hotel, the Central Fire Station on Hill Street and the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple along Tank Road.

Said the 38-year-old IT consultant: "I'm not sure if they are being fed but the population of chickens at the grass patch near the fire station has really swelled the past couple of months.

"They numbered about five when I first saw them, but now it's close to 20."

There have also been sightings of fowls wandering around Telok Kurau near the Lorong M area.

For AVA's directive on the rearing of non-commercial poultry, click here.