Why we should not feed the monkeys at Sungei Buloh Nature Park

WETlands
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Vol 6 No 3
Dec 99

Common Tailorbird

Lesser Known Predators
of Sungei Buloh

Butterfly Monitoring and Introduction
at Sungei Buloh

Why we should NOT feed the monkeys

Bird Ringing
at Sungei Buloh

Sluice Gate Management

International Coastal Cleanup
Sep 99

Care for Nature Family Hunt 99

Why we should NOT feed the monkeys Visitors to the Park would from time to time encounter a family of Long-tailed or Crab-eating Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) at the Visitor Centre. Adorable, aren't they? They are a hit especially with children who cannot resist feeding them with their potato chips and popcorn. But do you know that feeding them actually causes more harm than good?	Ranger Charles Lim shows the way to quit "monkeying" around with the monkeys in the Park
	*Upsetting dustbins*

The Long-tailed Macaque can be found in Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Philippines and many other small islands of the East Indies. Usually seen at forest edges, coastal forests, banks of water courses and mangroves, it is also known as the Crab-eating Macaque. It feeds on crabs on top of its usual diet of leaves, shoots and small animals.

In the wild, much time is spent on foraging for their food, which is more balanced than food handed out by humans. However, once they grow accustomed to being fed by humans, they spend their time loitering around human habitations instead of foraging. Upsetting dustbins and approaching people carrying bags, which they associate with food, become their regular activities. They may turn aggressive when food is denied. Surely, you do not want to run the risk of being scratched? In addition, with food readily available, more time will be spent on breeding. This increases the population rapidly and upsets the delicate balance of nature.

Feeding the monkeys is literally loving the animal to death. More harm is done when you feed them. When you see them again, think of them as cute, but please stop at that. They will thank you for it.