It’s not every day you see wildlife trying to “upgrade” their living quarters, but that’s exactly what happened at an HDB block in Singapore, where a pair of cheeky monkeys were caught on camera attempting to enter a flat.
Source: @thesgdaily on Instagram
The encounter, shared on Instagram by @thesgdaily, shows two wild long-tailed macaques exploring the exterior of the building.
In the video, one of the monkeys is seen placing its hands on a closed kitchen window, peering inside as the resident films from within the unit.
Source: @thesgdaily on Instagram
While the post included hashtags for Punggol and Yishun, the exact location of the block was not confirmed.
After seemingly plotting its next move, the first monkey made its way to the other side of the window via the drying rack, where it was spotted peering down at a second monkey climbing up the opposite side of the block.
Source: @thesgdaily on Instagram
The second monkey eventually reached an aircon ledge before hopping onto a clothes rack, right beneath some laundry that had been left out to dry.
It’s unclear whether either monkey managed to enter any of the units, as the video ended shortly after.
Humorously captioned “Wild monkeys spotted trying to ‘upgrade’ to HDB”, the post amused some netizens — though others were more alarmed by the encounter.
One commenter quipped: “This is the urban jungle y’all were raving about”, referencing Singapore’s nickname as a city in nature.
Source: Instagram
However, not everyone found it funny. Another user described the situation as “terrifying”.
Source: Instagram
One Instagram user went so far as to call the monkeys “aggressive” and a “nuisance”, adding that authorities should “just wipe them out totally”.
Source: Instagram
This is far from the first time wild monkeys have been spotted venturing into residential areas in Singapore.
In fact, Punggol has seen a spike in human-monkey encounters in recent years, prompting action from the authorities.
Source: Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Facebook
In 2024, NParks captured 50 monkeys in Punggol following numerous reports of conflicts between residents and the animals.
Most of the monkeys were sterilised and released back into the area.
Before launching the sterilisation programme, NParks conducted thorough research and evaluations in response to repeated reports of human-monkey conflict in the neighbourhood.
The agency has also been working with stakeholders such as Grassroots Advisers and the Town Council to engage the Punggol community, support mitigation efforts, and provide guidance on managing monkey encounters.
Also read: 30 monkeys cause chaos in Punggol on 2nd day of CNY, break into residents’ homes & steal food
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Featured image adapted from @thesgdaily on Instagram.