In the past, monkeys have grown pretty infamous for their mischievous behaviour in Singapore. From wearing a mask to admiring themselves in the mirror, and even chomping down spicy instant noodles, they have won the Internet with their antics.
However, incidents involving these animals should also remind us to be cautious.
Recently, a monkey in Botanic Gardens stole a 23-year-old woman’s antidepressants, eating two of them.
Source: @mummyhotline on Twitter
The woman reported the incident to a staff member, who admitted that she had never seen such a case occur before.
Speaking to MS News, Chloe shared that the incident occurred on 23 Feb at about 2pm at Eco-Lake near the Botanic Gardens MRT station.
She had decided to go to the park after her appointment with her psychiatrist, which was nearby.
Purchasing a mint ice cream, Chloe sat down at a bench for what she assumed would be a lovely afternoon spent reading a book.
However, that was not the case.
Soon after, a monkey approached her and grabbed the antidepressants in her bag. It then scaled up a tree, determined to keep the pills to itself.
Source: @mummyhotline on Twitter
The mint ice cream had been left alone in its pursuit to reach the antidepressants.
Shocked by the incident, Chloe took to Twitter to relay her encounter.
“I thought I had a new friend,” she lamented, sharing a picture of the monkey who had been sitting calmly by her side minutes before the incident.
Source: @mummyhotline on Twitter
Describing it as an “out-of-body experience”, Chloe shared that a few tourists waited with her for the monkey to release the medication.
A German family and Australian couple started to taunt the monkey with leaves, while others began taking pictures.
To her dismay, the monkey ate two pills from the packet before throwing it down, presumably disliking the taste.
Source: @mummyhotline on Twitter
Retrieving the medication, Chloe reported the incident to the staff at Botanic Gardens’ visitor enquiry desk.
The female attendant seemed “really surprised” and said this had never happened before.
Fortunately, the incident hasn’t left Chloe too shaken up in the aftermath.
“The whole thing felt strange but incredibly funny too,” she said, adding that she was grateful for the help of the tourists.
Ultimately, we’re glad this ended up being a hilarious and bizarre encounter for Chloe to look back on in hindsight.
However, this incident could have had another ending altogether had she not been careful.
Hopefully, it will remind everyone to be careful and follow the National Parks Board’s (NParks) advisory upon encountering wildlife creatures.
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Featured image adapted from @mummyhotline on Twitter.
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