SINGAPORE — It’s not even the Year of the Monkey, but that hasn’t stopped this monkey from trying his luck at winning money. The male monkey was caught on camera fiddling with a POSB automated teller machine (ATM) at Beauty World Center last month.
A video posted by user Abby Hew on the Singapore Incident Facebook page on January 9 shows a monkey trying to press an ATM button. Hugh said in his post that the incident happened the day before.
“We are aware of a lone male macaque and are actively trying to capture it. If the macaque is successfully captured, it will be relocated to an area away from urban areas.” Acting Management Group Director Hau Trung Beng told The Straits Times in an article published on Wednesday (February 7).
A local daily reported that POSB was aware of the incident but did not specify the date and time of the incident. The bank also said its ATMs are cleaned and disinfected daily.
Following the incident, POSB arranged additional cleaning sessions for the affected ATMs.
According to The Straits Times, NParks received 90 feedbacks about the long-tailed macaque near MRT Beauty World. The same species can be observed in the nearby Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
The feedback received consisted of both complaints and animal sightings. These include multiple sightings of the same animal and do not indicate an increase or decrease in wildlife collisions, NParks said.
A group of 4-5 monkeys disrupting a nearby shopping street.
Shop owners in the area also said they were used to the monkeys’ presence. They told The Straits Times that groups of four or five monkeys were seen several times a week last year.
Bernard Ng, the owner of a family-run sweets shop on Chuntian Road, said a group of monkeys stole food from his shop. The monkeys snatched sealed bags of food from storefronts, climbed upstairs, opened the packages, ate the food, and threw away the food wrappers.
The monkeys once snuck in through an open window on the second floor and stole food, as well as knocking over an incense stick placed outside the window. Since then, the store has stopped opening its windows.
Ng said NParks personnel were stationed in the area to cage the monkeys. Despite efforts, there was no success.
A salesperson at a pet lover’s center on Chun Tian Road told the media that monkeys may try to push open the glass door to get into the store.
In addition, animals sometimes blocked the entrance, preventing customers from entering. Staff often had to close doors to prevent monkeys from entering.
However, there were no problems at restaurants along nearby Chong Ching Nam Road, The Straits Times reported. Mohd Ishaq, a staff member at Al Azhar Restaurant, said the restaurant and its customers did not encounter any direct disturbance. However, he said monkeys are often seen scavenging for food in garbage cans along sidewalks near highways.
One male macaque, a “very naughty” and “very aggressive” male macaque, remains the only regular visitor of the monkey group. A spokesperson for the Apple Pie Language education center told The Straits Times that although the situation was improving, they were still concerned about one monkey who “could attack someone”. .
Photo and video evidence sent by the man showed the monkeys playing with and chewing on art supplies. In the video, the monkey can be seen charging towards the person filming the video.
Don’t feed the monkeys, NParks advises public
To manage the monkey population and alleviate related problems, NParks told The Straits Times that it has taken the following measures:
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Monkey Monitoring – Orient macaques away from residential areas and toward forested areas.
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Eliminate food sources such as fruit trees that may act as attractants.
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Carry out capture work.
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and ask residents and stall owners to take steps to minimize macaque infestations.
Measures include studying monkey population biology, modifying habitat, and moving invasive individuals away from residential areas. The agency is working with related parties to carry out disinfection.
Authorities also warned the public not to feed the monkeys. If you are caught doing this, you will be subject to a fine of up to $5,000 for the first offense and up to $10,000 for any subsequent offense.
“If you’re out in the open and a monkey approaches you, stay calm and quiet, and don’t make sudden movements or make eye contact. Instead, look away and slowly back away. Don’t approach the area until they leave. Please,” said Mr. Howe.
He also suggested that the public keep plastic bags out of sight when they spot monkeys, as monkeys associate plastic bags with the presence of food and will try to snatch them.
Last August, a monkey was caught on video stealing bread from a bakery in Coban. A video of his five monkeys exiting an apartment in Jalan Besar HDB also went viral.
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