May 14, 2025
SINGAPORE – Visitors to Mandai Columbarium are advised not to leave food offerings unattended in order to reduce encounters with monkeys in the area, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).
The reminder comes after a Facebook post on May 1 by Mr Loke Jun Xiong, who said the animals were harassing visitors during Qing Ming Festival prayers.
“A whole troop of monkeys was harassing visitors doing Qing Ming at Mandai Columbarium this morning. Once they see food, they will come and surround (the area),” he wrote on the Complaint Singapore page, which has around 244,500 members as at 3.30pm on May 13.
“The worrying thing is that they’re not even afraid of humans,” he added. “Another family got attacked, and they had to throw lighted candles and sand at the monkeys. Soon someone will get hurt.”
Several videos accompanying the post showed monkeys taking food left as offerings for the dead.
A monkey with food offerings at Mandai Columbarium. PHOTO: LOKE JUN XIONG/FACEBOOK/THE STRAITS TIMES
According to Mr Loke, the incidents occurred during the Qing Ming Festival, a traditional Chinese occasion also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day.
During the festival, families visit the graves or columbarium niches of their ancestors, and make offerings of food such as roasted meat and fruit, along with placing incense and paper tributes.
This year, Qing Ming fell on April 4. The festival is observed for a period encompassing the 10 days before and the 10 after the official date.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, the NEA said it has implemented various preventive measures to manage such encounters, as the columbarium is located near a nature reserve.
“These include putting up advisory posters at various columbarium blocks to inform visitors of the dos and don’ts when encountering monkeys,” said the agency.
“Notices have also been put up to remind visitors not to leave food offerings unattended. Food offerings are cleared regularly after prayers to minimise food availability.”
The NEA added that rubbish bins at the site are specially designed to minimise rummaging of their contents by animals and must be kept covered at all times.
Members of the public are also encouraged to refer to the National Parks Board’s wildlife advisory titled “What to do when you encounter a long-tailed macaque”, which provides practical tips on managing such incidents. They include:
- Do not take along food or plastic bags when visiting nature areas.
- If you are carrying food and are approached by a monkey, remain calm and walk away slowly. Do not attempt to retrieve the food or bag.
- Do not try to hit the monkey. This may be seen as a form of aggression and provoke it.
- Avoid direct eye contact with the monkey, as it can be perceived as a threat.