Singapore—The current pandemic has been a boon to a few of nature’s creatures, including a male macaque who was seen going around Marina Bay on its own, obviously benefiting from the absence of tourists.
It was spotted by Sabrina K. Nguyen while she was on a run on October 2, she wrote in a post on the Nature Society (Singapore) group Facebook page that has since gone viral, getting over 300 shares since she put up the photos of the macaque on Sunday, Oct 11.
Ms Nguyen wrote, “late post, a few pics from oct 2 during a run in marina bay. has anyone seen this little fella too? not sure how far he was from home!”
Media publications that have carried photos of the macaque have called him truly “Insta-worthy” for his “poses” against the backdrop of the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay as well as the Fullerton Hotel.
In one photo the animal is sitting on a railing and looking straight into the camera, in another it is curiously checking out a lotus bud.
No doubt about it, the little monkey certainly has star quality.
Ms Nguyen told mothership.sg that she saw the macaque at around 5:30 in the afternoon, while running past the Helix bridge, and at first she thought he was a squirrel.
Good thing Ms Nguyen had the presence of mind to keep her distance from the monkey, as to not frighten it when she took photos.
On the website of famed English primatologist Dame Jane Goodall, it says that the long-tailed macaque is “probably the most familiar non-human primates you see in Singapore.”
There have been incidents of conflict between humans and macaques, due to “a lack of education on appropriate human behaviours around wildlife” the site says. The best example is when people give these primates food, they learn that they can rely on us as providers of food, and can get aggressive and demanding.
Interested in seeing macaques in their natural habitat? The Jane Goodall Institute Singapore (JGIS) offers free guided walks on every second, third, and fourth Saturday evening of the month. There walks cover MacRitchie Reservoir Park, Lower Peirce Reservoir Park, and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
JGIS writes, “The goal is to share our knowledge about the macaques, inform citizens on how to support a healthy relationship with them, and give all members of the public an opportunity to observe these fascinating monkeys’ day-to-day lives up close in their natural habitat.” —/TISG
Macaque pickpockets MacRitchie Reservoir visitor’s mobile phone before dropping it in the water