Monkeys scale building in Punggol Digital District, amuses onlookers
More than a dozen monkeys were seen climbing the facade of a building near Punggol's Coney Island.
In a video submitted to Stomp, monkeys perched on the third and fourth floors of a building as onlookers watched from below.
Speaking to Stomp, Mrs Tan, who recorded the video, shared that she spotted the scene in Punggol Digital District while on a morning walk on Feb 4. She added that she found the sight more "intriguing" than scary, and noted that onlookers seemed "quite entertained".
Northern Punggol, which encompasses Punggol Digital District, is a hot spot for long-tailed macaques. Between Sept 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, the National Parks Board (NParks) received around 200 reports relating to macaques in the area.
Remain calm and quiet near macaques
According to the National Parks Board (NParks), members of the public should remain calm and quiet when encountering macaques.
They should also avoid making eye contact with them and back away slowly. Any objects that can attract the monkeys' attention, like a plastic bag or container, should be hidden or thrown away, as they are conditioned to recognise them as food sources.
NParks also advised the public to keep a safe distance from monkeys as they can attack in self-defence.
Netizens amused but concerned about disappearing habitats
Footage of the monkeys was first uploaded to Lianhe Zaobao's Facebook page on Feb 4, attracting comments split between amusement and pity that the wild animals' natural habitats were disappearing to make way for urban developments.
Many defended the monkeys' behaviour. "Their habitat been [sic] destroyed," one netizen said. "They need food to survive also."
"The trees in the forests have been cut down, and the monkeys have nowhere to go, so they go into public housing buildings to look for food," another user wrote in Chinese.
Some took a more lighthearted approach towards the monkeys' behaviour.
"Even monkeys are interested in learning AI now," one commenter joked.
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