SINGAPORE: Fifty monkeys in Punggol were trapped by the National Parks Board (NParks) in 2024 and most of those caught were sterilised as part of efforts to manage the monkey population in the area.
Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said in a written parliamentary answer on Tuesday (Mar 4) that NParks had received several reports of human-monkey conflict and in areas with higher reported cases, the agency intervenes to protect public safety.
This includes long-term population control measures such as sterilisation and the removal of monkeys that display more aggressive or intrusive behaviour, he added.
Mr Lee was responding to parliamentary questions from Associate Prof Jamus Lim (WP-Sengkang). He had asked whether the sterilisation programme, in relation to monkeys in Punggol, is conducted only at specific sites that are confirmed overpopulated, as supported by a study and projected estimates.
Assoc Prof Lim also wanted to know the number of macaques that had been trapped by NParks in 2024 and of those trapped, how many of them were then sterilised and euthanised.
“To manage the monkey population, NParks conducted extensive research and assessment on the population before implementing sterilisation in Punggol,” said Mr Lee.
“In 2024, NParks trapped 50 monkeys in the Punggol vicinity, of which the majority were then sterilised. To safeguard public safety, some monkeys that display more aggressive or intrusive behaviour were removed.”
This is part of NParks’ science- and community-based approach to manage the monkey population in Singapore, which also includes minimising human sources of food by ensuring proper refuse management, feeding enforcement and measures to prevent monkeys from intruding into urban areas.
Mr Lee said that the agency has also been working closely with stakeholders, such as grassroots advisers and the town council, to engage Punggol residents on the mitigation measures and what they should do when encountering monkeys.
“We can all play our part to minimise wildlife intrusions by refraining from feeding wildlife, keeping our residential areas clean and appreciating wildlife from a safe distance,” he added.