Ang Yiying & Jalelah Abu Baker Straits Times 9 Oct 10;
MACAQUE alert: The top three areas where long-tailed macaques are found in Singapore are Nee Soon and Lower Peirce, MacRitchie and Bukit Timah.
Based on data gathered in 2007 and published last year, there were 375 such primates in Nee Soon and Lower Peirce, 252 in the MacRitchie area and 196 in the Bukit Timah area.
In fact, researchers know almost the exact number of macaques there are in the various parts of the island.
Going by surveys and reported sightings, they have plotted the distribution of macaques based on their sleeping sites, and have mapped out where more than 70 groups of macaques can be found.
These monkeys - in groups or singly - usually roam the fringes of forests but reported sightings have been made at urbanised areas such as Jurong East IMM and Raffles Place.
All in, the number of macaques - the most commonly found primates in Singapore - range from 1,218 to 1,454. Only long-tailed macaques are found here.
These animals made the news on Wednesday when a macaque - believed to be either a long-tailed or pig-tailed species - snatched a newborn girl from her house in Seremban in Malaysia, bit her, and then dropped her to her death from a rooftop.
Experts say long-tailed macaques in Singapore are more benign and also smaller than others in South-east Asia. Chances of one snatching a human baby are very slim,they added.
Dr Michael Gumert, a researcher from the Nanyang Technological University who has been involved in local studies of macaques, said of the Malaysian incident: 'This is an extremely unique case.'
He had not heard of macaques snatching babies before, although there had been a few reported cases of chimpanzees doing so in Africa.
Still, macaques continue to be a nuisance to residents who live in areas where they roam.
Last year, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority received 611 reports related to nuisance caused by monkeys or of monkey sightings outside forested areas.
A local study published last year found that most interactions between humans and macaques take place when people carry food or look like they are carrying food.
Mr Rengaswami Ramakrishnan, 72, a security guard at the Le Wood condominium near Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, said some of the macaques have even developed human-like tastebuds; they now turn their backs on fruit.
'They like KFC and McDonald's. When residents buy breakfast back during the weekends, they would snatch it,' he said.
Macaques continue to plague residents of that condominium.
Mr Alvin Tan, who lives in the condominium, said the monkeys are not lured by the fruit placed in the cages that the AVA provides to trap them. 'They would only come when we put in shiny wrappers, like the Snickers bar wrappers,' he said.
Housewife Catherine Teo, 56, who has been living in the condo for the past two years, has resorted to carrying a recyclable cloth bag as the notorious monkeys seem to be attracted to plastic bags.
Experts say that contact or conflicts with macaques or other types of roaming monkeys are avoidable - just do not feed them.
Mr John Sha Chih Mun, conservation and research curator at Wildlife Reserves Singapore, advises against threatening the monkeys with objects, staring at them or making sudden movements towards them.
People should also avoid moving too close to macaques, especially when a mother is with its infant and may be highly protective and aggressive.
Dr Gumert said the Seremban incident also highlights the importance of having windows and doors with locked screens if you live near wildlife.
'A sad reality is that people living near forest areas or with animals around can't just have wide open houses and be completely safe,' he said.
Public urged to be cautious when dealing with wild monkeys
Wayne Chan Channel NewsAsia 8 Oct 10;
SINGAPORES: Wild monkeys, like the one which killed a four-day-old baby in Seremban Malaysia, are also found in Singapore.
The long-tailed macaques are a common sight at Casuarina Road, off Upper Thomson Road, and at times, can be unwelcome visitors to residents living there.
Casuarina Road resident Yogalakshmi said monkeys would go into her room and push toys down the table.
Residents said the monkeys would not be a threat if precautions were taken.
Sixty-one-year-old Casuarina Road resident Russell Ng said: "As long as people exercise caution, don't feed the monkeys, don't tease the monkeys, don't make eye contact with the monkeys (it should be safe).
"If the (monkeys) stare at you, just walk away".
Singapore's Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority said the long-tailed macaque was the most common species here.
They are generally elusive animals and reside in forested areas, away from humans.
However, AVA said it still received feedback on stray monkeys causing a nuisance.
The number of monkeys culled has gone down by almost 40 per cent since 2007.
The number of stray monkeys culled by AVA were 206, 184 and 127 in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively.
AVA said these strays had become accustomed to feeding by humans, associating people with food, thus showing altered behaviour.
Residents are urged to keep windows and doors shut when no one is home, and tightly seal all rubbish bins.
-CNA/wk
Related links
Malaysia: Macaque abducts, bites and drops baby from roof Chitra S. Nathan and Lester Kong The Star 7 Oct 10;