Straits Times Forum 4 Nov 13;
MR HAN Cheng Fong suggested culling monkeys because they have invaded our living spaces and deprived us of the comforts of our home ("Real root of monkey problem"; last Thursday).
The culling of monkeys has been taking place in Singapore for years, but the reality is that it has not resolved the issue of the human-macaque conflicts.
This is also the case in Gibraltar, where the government has been culling monkeys for years but has realised this year that this is not a solution and is now focused on more long-term and humane measures.
Mr Han stated that "the culling of wild animals whose populations have grown to menacing proportions is an accepted practice in Australia, Europe, the United States and many other countries".
This is not the case in Singapore. Studies on the population density of monkeys in Singapore were carried out by the Nanyang Technological University recently; the results reveal that there is no overpopulation of monkeys. There is also sufficient food in the forest for the monkeys.
Mr Han should note that the monkeys in Singapore do have natural predators such as pythons and raptors.
The real root of the problem is the availability of food in human communities and the building of human habitats closer to monkey foraging paths.
Simple methods such as closing one's doors and windows or installing grilles could prevent monkeys from entering our property, and keeping food out of sight will help as well.
For restaurants built close to monkey foraging paths, glass panels could be installed to keep the monkeys out.
The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) also agrees with Miss Wong Shiying's recommendations that legal enforcement to deter feeders is a better solution than culling ("Impose heavier fines on feeders"; last Thursday).
Acres would like to invite Mr Han to contact us on our hotline (9783-7782) so that we can provide him a detailed assessment and customised recommendations to resolve the human-macaque conflict he is facing.
See Han Sern
Campaign Executive
Animal Concerns Research and Education Society
Think outside the box to solve monkey problem
Straits Times 4 Nov 13;
THE real root of the monkey problem is human intolerance ("Real root of monkey problem" by Mr Han Cheng Fong; last Thursday).
Across the Strait of Johor, thousands of monkeys do not seem to pose a nuisance or threat to the kampung folk. There is no talk of culling, simply because monkeys and man have learnt to share a common habitat.
Many years ago, when I was an undergraduate at the University of Singapore, I used to visit the Botanic Gardens, where monkeys used to roam. Today, I cannot find monkeys there. Were they culled or removed to a different part of Singapore?
Perhaps, too, the idea of turning Pulau Tekukor, a nearby deserted islet, into an eco-sanctuary for captured monkeys can be revisited and taken up by organisations such as the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society, together with agencies such as the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority and National Parks Board.
Many years ago, when my son was six, he was bitten by a wild monkey at the Singapore Zoo. He was taken to the hospital and needed 15 stitches.
To his credit, he grew up without any fear of or rancour towards monkeys. In fact, we adopted one with a fractured leg that wrapped itself around my leg when I was at MacRitchie Reservoir many years ago.
We could have surrendered it to the zoo or have it culled. But we gave it a home for 15 years before it died in 2008.
To this day, we are grateful to our neighbours and friends for their understanding, when they could have easily reported the "nuisance" to the authorities.
I am not encouraging any "illegal adoption" of wildlife in Singapore. Rather, my aim is to stress the importance of thinking "outside the box" to protect our dwindling natural heritage.
Patrick Low
