Monkey sightings in Punggol Northshore worry residents

A Punggol resident, Ms Pang, and her husband were walking to their new Build-To-Order (BTO) flat in Northshore Drive earlier this month when they encountered a troop of about a dozen monkeys on the park connector.

- Isabelle Liew

Two of the more brazen animals attempted to snatch an iced lemon tea drink from her hands.

The 25-year-old property agent, who declined to give her full name, managed to escape unscathed, but she and other residents of the recently completed Punggol Point Crown BTO project told The Straits Times that they are growing increasingly worried about the presence of monkeys in the estate.

The residents, who began collecting the keys to their flats from April, said they have seen dozens of monkeys belonging to the long-tailed macaque species in and around the estate.

Videos posted on resident chat groups show groups of the monkeys climbing up the facade of an HDB block and eating at the void deck.

The monkey sightings are prompting some residents to install mesh screens in their homes, afraid that the animals will turn into home invaders.

“It’s only a matter of time before the monkeys attempt to climb into people’s homes in search of food, especially those on the lower floors,” said Ms Pang, who will be moving into her four-room flat in October once renovation is completed.