Monkeys do stunts on Jalan Besar HDB block
Talk about a concrete jungle – monkeys were seen scaling down a block of flats as easily as they do trees.
The agility of the tribe of long-tailed macaques that climbed down the block of flats at Jalan Besar on Saturday was captured by an awestruck Ms Victoria Loh on video.
She posted it on TikTok on Aug 19, accompanied by an indefinite number of “wows”.
Ms Loh pans up the HDB block to expose the monkeys running all over the outside of windows.
A few are seated on the ledges of the fourth and fifth levels.
One macaque starts descending the corner of the building with its limbs gripping the sides of the pillar and its tail flat against the wall for balance.
"Wow, wow, wow," says an obviously impressed Ms Loh.
Its buddies follow suit and make their way down with the same dexterity.
Once they reach the second floor, they leap off the pillar onto the roof of the first floor.
Then they go into the second floor corridor. Residents there must have had an interesting encounter.
@ladyv_victoria He shoots, She shoots, I also shoot la! 美猴王们大闹 Jalan Besar ? . . #monkeyinaction #monkeys #monkeytiktok #monkey @Stomp Singapore @Mothership @The Straits Times ♬ original sound - Victoria Loh
“I am wondering where are they coming from and now going to?” asked one viewer of Ms Loh’s video.
According to the NParks website, the long-tailed macaque is the only commonly seen species of monkey in Singapore. Its population numbers some 1,500 individuals.
Most dwell in and on the fringes of our rainforest nature reserves – the Bukit Timah and the Central Catchment Nature Reserves. They also occupy parks such as Bukit Batok Nature Park, Yishun Park and Admiralty Park, as well as Sisters Islands and Pulau Ubin.
Many were impressed by the monkeys’ litheness and nimbleness.
“What in the Mission Impossible is this?” commented one person, referring to actor Tom Cruise’s infamous stunts in the spy movie franchise.
Some thought the monkeys were not monkeying around and had more serious business.
“Building inspection mobile unit,” said a user.
“SCDF training,” said another.
But some viewers were just as impressed with Ms Loh’s exclamations.
“How many 'wows' actually,” said a commenter.
“A lot, because they were right in front of me and I was so afraid that they would jump on me,” replied Ms Loh with a laughing emoji.
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