Monkey antics worry shopkeepers in Beauty World area

Issue has somewhat abated, they say, but one very naughty’ male still a regular visitor

Singaporeans are no strangers to monkeys and their antics, from daredevil stunts straight out of the Mission: Impossible action movies to hanging out on a huge crab replica at The Punggol Settlement.

The area around Beauty World MRT station has also seen its fair share of simian shenanigans through the years. Although shopkeepers in the area say the issue has somewhat abated, the recent sighting of a lone male macaque has raised concerns.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the National Parks Board's (NParks) acting group director of wildlife management How Choon Beng said the authority had received 90 cases of feedback in 2023 about long-tailed macaques in the area around Beauty World MRT station. The species can be found in the nearby Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

"We are aware of the lone male macaque, and are actively trying to trap it," said Mr How. If the macaque is successfully trapped, it will be relocated away from urban areas, he added.

The feedback received by NParks does not consist solely of complaints, but also sightings of the animals. It may include multiple sightings of the same animal, and does not indicate any increase or decrease in incidents of conflict with wildlife.

Most recently, the male macaque was caught on video fiddling with a POSB ATM at Beauty World Centre.

The original video was uploaded to the Singapore Incidents Facebook page on Jan 9. Facebook user Abby Hew, who uploaded the video, indicated that it was taken on Jan 8.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, POSB said it was aware of the incident, but did not provide details on the time or date it happened.

The bank said its ATMs are cleaned and sanitised daily. However, after it was made aware of the incident, it arranged for another round of cleaning for the affected ATM.