Melted chocolate with wrappers found strewn around close to houses near Bukit Kiara park.
MY wife and I regularly perform plogging on Sundays at Bukit Kiara Federal Park in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.
We usually pick up a lot of junk food wrappers and beverage containers at a spot where people feed the monkeys .
This is despite signage telling people not to feed these animals.
Typically, there are sweets, cakes, bread, curried rice, noodles, nuts, canned or packaged drinks and sometimes fruit.
Apart from some fruits, these foods are not part of the monkeys’ natural diet and are actually harmful to the primates as they contain sugars, preservatives and chemicals.
It is not good for humans either, when consumed frequently and in large amounts.
These wrappers or containers are usually scattered on the ground or hung on fences.
We usually pick up enough torn plastic bags, wrappers, cutlery and containers to fill a rubbish bag.
Two weeks ago, we came across the messiest, most toxic food left for the monkeys – a huge gooey, sticky, melted heap of candy coated chocolate with the wrappers strewn all around.
Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine which are toxic to many animals including primates, and can cause various health problems, including upset stomach, tremors and seizures.
In large quantities, it can even be lethal.
The wrappers were thrown on the kerbs of nearby houses.
It was so frustrating for us not only to have to pick up hundreds of wrappers, but knowing someone tried to feed monkeys with harmful food.
There are some stray dogs and cats that can be found around the park – chocolate is equally toxic to them.
Sadly, people have misplaced kindness by feeding animals with human foods despite being repeatedly told not to.
There is a jungle beside the park and the monkeys’ foods found in their natural habitat are the best for them.
They will also become less aggressive if people stopped feeding them, and thus prevent monkey-human conflicts.
It would be best for the monkeys and the environment if people would stop feeding the animals.
Koo Wee Hon
Petaling Jaya
