SINGAPORE: A man was filmed swinging his bag at a monkey in Mandai Wildlife Reserve after the animal allegedly snatched food from his young son.
The incident was captured in a video by TikTok user arandompaul, which was posted on 28 September.
The clip has since gained traction online with more than 78,000 views at the time of writing.
In the video, a boy can be seen standing quietly as a monkey scurries up a wooden fence.
Moments later, a man in a blue jersey suddenly appears and swings his bag at the animal.
In the process, the bag also appears to brush against the child.
The monkey narrowly avoids the blow and leaps onto a nearby tree to escape.
In the background, a woman and another child can be heard telling the man that he “cannot do that to the monkey”.
According to comments under the video, the original poster (OP) reported the incident to park staff.
Netizens Condemn the Act
The video sparked heated discussion online, with many netizens condemning the father’s behaviour and calling it animal abuse.
One commenter questioned why the man would display aggression in front of his son.
Another wrote, “The father forget that actually he don’t have to bring his kid to this place with damn food on the son hands.”
Others noted that the man appeared to strike his son unintentionally while swinging the bag at the monkey.
One user defended the father, saying he had the right to protect his child.
However, others argued that visitors should know not to eat openly in the zoo as it naturally attracts animals.
Monkey Allegedly Snatched Food From Boy
Speaking to MS News, the OP — a 25-year-old business traveller who wished to remain anonymous — recounted what had happened before he began filming.
He said that prior to the incident, visitors had been laughing and recording videos of the monkeys.
The boy was carrying food when the monkey leapt on him and snatched it away.
The OP did not witness the exact moment of the snatching but saw the boy getting up afterwards.
“I turned around and everyone was laughing, so I got my phone out to record the monkey.
And out of nowhere, the guy came and swung his bag at it. Everyone was really mad at him,” he said.
He added that the man did not respond to other visitors and quickly left the scene.
He later pointed the man out to zoo staff.
Visitors Urged to Follow Park Guidelines
In response to the incident, a Mandai Wildlife Group spokesperson reminded visitors to adhere to park guidelines to ensure safe interactions between people and animals.
Visitors are advised not to eat while walking through the park and to keep food securely stored in their bags.
They are also encouraged to maintain a safe distance from macaques and avoid direct eye contact, while disposing of food waste in monkey-proof bins.
The spokesperson stressed that macaques and other native wildlife already have sufficient food in their natural habitats, and that feeding them human food disrupts their behaviour.
Wildlife guides also patrol the parks to minimise the risk of such encounters.
“We want to ensure that all our guests, and the animals around them, experience positive interactions,” the spokesperson said.
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