- Photo: ST file
SINGAPORE: Fifty monkeys in Punggol were trapped by the authorities in 2024, and the majority of them were sterilised before being released, after these animals came into conflict with people in the area.
Some monkeys that showed more aggressive or intrusive behaviour were “removed” in view of public safety, said the National Development Minister Desmond Lee in a written parliamentary reply on March 4. He did not elaborate on what he meant by this.
Lee was responding to Associate Professor Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC), who asked whether sterilisation efforts in Punggol were conducted only at sites with an overpopulation of monkeys. He also asked for the number of trapped monkeys that were sterilised and euthanised.
Lee said the National Parks Board (NParks) has received several reports of “human-monkey conflict” in Punggol.
In areas with higher numbers of such reports, NParks would intervene to maintain public safety, he added. This includes carrying out sterilisation as a long-term population control measure and removing monkeys that display more aggressive or intrusive behaviour.
“To manage the monkey population, NParks conducted extensive research and assessment on the population before implementing sterilisation in Punggol,” Lee said.
The Straits Times reported in September 2024 that new residents of Build-To-Order flats in Punggol Northshore were worried about the presence of monkeys in the estate. They were alarmed after seeing the long-tailed macaques at park connectors and climbing up Housing Board blocks.
The macaques are forest fringe creatures that move between forest patches in search of food and territory, and have been observed to travel through Lorong Halus Wetland, Coney Island Park and the remaining forest patches around the Punggol area.
NParks studies the population ecology of monkeys and its findings inform its measures on managing the monkey population in Singapore, said Lee.
It also works with stakeholders to ensure proper waste disposal, enforces against feeding and guard monkeys away from urban areas.
The board is working with the town council and grassroots advisers to engage the community on mitigation measures and what to do during monkey encounters, Lee added.
“We can all play our part to minimise wildlife intrusions by refraining from feeding wildlife, keeping our residential areas clean, and appreciating wildlife from a safe distance,” Lee said. - The Straits Times/ANN
