Hide your food and don't feed the monkeys

Straits Times Forum 15 Mar 12;

THE Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) and National Parks Board are working together to place traps at the fringe of MacRitchie Reservoir Park to capture monkeys, which have been behaving aggressively towards the public and snatching food and plastic bags from them ('Monkeys grab wife's groceries' by Mr Fong Wei Kurk; March 2). We will continue to closely monitor the situation at MacRitchie.

Irresponsible feeding by some members of the public has altered the behaviour of some monkeys. They are drawn out of the forest in search of food handouts from people, and may grab plastic bags or any other food containers that they have been conditioned to recognise.

We advise the public not to feed the monkeys.

In areas where monkeys are often seen, the public should ensure that the food they are carrying is kept out of sight and inaccessible to the monkeys.

Once there are no available food sources from humans, the monkeys will return to the forest for food.

Those who wish to provide feedback on the monkey nuisance may contact the AVA on 1800-476-1600 or ava_cawc@ava.gov.sg

Dr Wong Hon Mun
Director, Agri Establishment Regulation
For Chief Executive Officer
Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority

Kartini Omar (Ms)
General Manager (Parks)
National Parks Board

Monkeys grab wife's groceries
Straits Times Forum 2 Mar 12;

MY WIFE was attacked by monkeys on Wednesday while she was crossing the overhead bridge from MacRitchie Reservoir to reach home.

One crept up behind her and ripped apart the plastic bag of groceries she was carrying which emboldened the rest to seek out her handbag and try to pry more items off her.

She almost fell when she tried to escape. My wife is six months pregnant, so imagine the consequences had she been seriously hurt.

This was not the first time she was hounded by such brazen monkeys who have made food forays into our estate.

I urge the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority and the National Parks Board to take urgent action to cull the population of monkeys in Singapore as they no longer seem to fear people, and have become a nuisance.

I have seen monkeys use the overhead bridges to cross over an otherwise busy Lornie Road to get to housing estates opposite MacRitchie Reservoir, presumably in search of food.

Fong Wei Kurk