A seafood restaurant at The Punggol Settlement, House of Crabs, has seen a notable increase in monkey visitors recently. The shop owner shared with 8
A seafood restaurant at The Punggol Settlement, House of Crabs, has seen a notable increase in monkey visitors recently. The shop owner shared with 8world News that the number of monkeys visiting in the evenings has risen from about 20 to 30 to over 60.
In 2022, efforts by the National Parks Board to relocate the monkeys to nearby forests only resulted in a more robust troop returning to the area. While shop owners are cautious about the monkeys, the animals have not disturbed customers thus far. “Fortunately, these monkeys tend to hang around outside the restaurant, and it doesn’t negatively impact our business. In fact, they draw in curious visitors eager to watch and photograph them,” said a spokesperson for House of Crabs.
Despite this relatively peaceful coexistence, restaurant owners remain on edge, fearing that the monkeys might become aggressive towards customers. “When the monkeys approach, we can only make some noise to scare them off, but they don’t seem easily frightened, so we try not to provoke them,” the owner explained.
Occasional Mischief While the monkeys generally maintain a low profile, they have caused some mischief. They have been known to damage model displays outside House of Crabs and a nearby 7-Eleven, leading the convenience store to stop displaying items outside. The monkeys have also been spotted swiping food and drinks from snack shelves, mistaking fake dim sum platters for the real thing.
Fortunately, no members of the public have been harmed by the monkeys, at least for now.
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