https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...-says-mandai-wildlife-group-after-viral-video
SINGAPORE - Visitors to wildlife parks under the Mandai Wildlife Group should avoid eating as they walk through these parks, and keep their belongings – including food – in a well-packed bag.
They should also keep their distance from wild macaques, avoid making eye contact with them, and use monkey-proof bins around the parks, the group said in response to media queries on Oct 2.
This comes after a TikTok video of a man swinging a bag at a macaque went viral online. The incident happened at the Singapore Zoo, according to the video. The zoo is one of the parks under the Mandai Wildlife Group.
As at Oct 2, the video had amassed nearly 109,000 views and 614 comments.
TikTok user arandompaul, who posted the video on Sept 28, said in the accompanying caption that the man was not happy that the monkey had stolen his child’s food.
In the video, a macaque can be seen with what appears to be pastry or bread in its mouth, climbing onto some railings as a child looks on. A man then enters the frame, swinging a blue bag at the macaque. He misses the animal, and the bag hits the child in the face instead.
Other people at the scene, who were laughing at the start of the video, can be heard chiding the man for his behaviour.
“You can’t do that!” says one of them.
Comments on the TikTok video were similarly critical of the man for his actions, as well as for allowing his child to eat while walking on the zoo’s grounds. However, others wondered why the man was criticised, claiming he had a right to defend his child.
In response to media queries, a Mandai Wildlife Group spokesperson said that its landscapes are also home to a wide range of local wildlife, such as the long-tailed macaque in the video.
“In our wildlife parks, we impart information to all visitors through signage and advisories about general etiquette around animals. We want to ensure that all our guests, and the animals around them, experience positive interactions,” said the spokesperson.
These include reminders not to eat as they walk in the parks, and to use monkey-proof bins, among others.
“Native wildlife such as the macaques have enough food in the wild, and as we share our parks with them, we can consciously ensure no food item is a temptation for them,” said the spokesperson.
“The presence of our wildlife guides who are deployed to walk the parks helps to minimise any negative interactions between visitors and the local wildlife.”
