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Monkey Business!

My Dear and I went trekking at Macritchie Reservoir, the part off Venus drive towards tree top walk.

This was my second visit to Macritchie Nature Reserve. For the write-up of my first visit, please visit my earlier posts:
This second visit was even more exciting than the first! The natives of the Macritchie nature reserves came out in full droves from their 'homes' to welcome us!
There was a monkey crawling threateningly along the bars of the tree top walk towards us, less than 15 cm away from us. We could not turn back as the tree top walk rangers did not allow walkers to retreat. Thus we braced ourselves walking towards the monkey, keeping our food and drinks out of sight of the primate's view. Luckily the monkey was not interested in us else a monkey's attacks would be unimaginable.
Do not fool around with the Singapore monkeys in our nature reserve! These primates are not innocent monkeys like you have read. These primates have evolved with Singapore and have become highly urbanized and intelligent. They are always on the lookout for new food and drinks to try, so never taunt or antagonize these monkeys, just stay nonchalent and pretend you do not see them if you happen to bump into a bunch of them in our nature reserves.
My Dear and I had walked few hundred metres deep in the Macritchie Nature Reserve to visit Jelatung tower to catch a breathtaking scenary of the nature reserve. But when we arrived 50 metres in front of the tower, we were shocked! The whole tower was void of human but full of monkeys prancing around the steps of the tower and almost everywhere around it.

I saw a monkey, which seemed to be the leader of the pack, nodding its head to me, as if beckoning to me and my Dear to come towards them! There were so many monkeys there that clearly our lives would be in danger should we visit the tower. Sadly we have to give up visiting Jelatung tower which has come under the control of the monkeys!
No sane human would go and visit Jelatung tower with the bunches of monkeys there, it is just so risky! What a waste of money to build a tower in the nature reserve, just to fall to the monkeys!
Anyway, besides these mischievous primates, my Dear and I managed to catch a quick glimpse of a cute squirrel and a monitor lizard:


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Comments

Anonymous said…
U r probably too young to hv heard the stories of free roaming monkies in the Botanical gardens in the 1960's. They became aggressive when strollers wouldnt give them food(bananas)n after several incidences of biting, they were removed.

We hv a primates park here (3hrs by train n bus)where the tiny to the smallest species roamed free. Quite an experience to hv them climbed all over u in search of food in ur pockets n bags. The bigger gorilla's lives on an island with a moat around it for safety reasons.

Wild-live parks in South Africa r really awesome. I just can't stand the stench n dust tho.
Tue Jan 13, 03:50:00 AM GMT+8
Singapore Short Stories said…
Hi Dutchie,

wow u survived all the monkeys climbing over u? hehe...
Tue Jan 13, 11:57:00 PM GMT+8
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