Singapore's favorite, and only, wild cow died this week. The Coney
Island Cow lived for years on a small island north-eastern park. Its origins were as mysterious as its death was sad.
Nameless and elusive, no-one really knows how the lonely bull wound up
on Coney Island.
"The animal may have wandered in. It was only noticed after dam
crossings were built," said Singapore's National Parks Board (NParks),
responsible for managing the city state's greenery.
"But as no-one has reported a lost cow, its presence on the island
remains a mystery."
The 133-hectare island was once owned by the Haw Par brothers, the
wealthy entrepreneurs behind Tiger Balm who have left such a sizeable
footprint on Singapore's modern history.
They sold it in the 1950s to an Indian businessman who wanted to turn
remodel it after the popular New York amusement destination.
But nothing materialized despite a name change, and the land was slated
for government redevelopment. One year ago, the island became
Singapore's newest national park, being opened up to tourists for hiking
and cycling, on a short network of paths.
It was then everyone became aware that the island already belonged to
one magnificent beast: The Cow.
With its solitary stoic presence, it quickly became a local legend among
Singaporeans, most of whom live in the city or suburbs and have little
interaction with livestock.
No trip to Coney Island was complete without trying to track down the
cow, heeding the strict warning signs about not feeding it, provoking it
or trying to photograph it.
Sadly, his life came to an unlucky end this week, when he failed to wake
up after a routine veterinary check-up.
Officials said he had likely died of heart and lung complications while necessarily sedated.
"The cow was a recognisable part of Coney Island Park and will be missed," said NParks.
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