Green Pulse Podcast

How do we avoid human-animal clashes in S’pore?

Shabana Begum

and

Ang Qing

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Synopsis: Every first and third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

In recent months, a globally endangered monkey has unsettled Singapore’s youngest housing estate Punggol, with dozens of reports made against long-tailed macaques for entering human homes.

From left: Mr Kalaivanan Balakrishnan, CEO of Acres and Ms Jasvic Lye, campaign manager of Our Wild Neighbours, engage on stage with hosts from ST correspondents Ang Qing and Shabana Begum.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

In turn, the authorities have responded to the wild monkeys, which are not considered threatened in the Republic, with an arsenal of measures that range from sterilisation to pelting them with water gel guns, a move that made headlines in August.

These solutions, however, are just a matter of playing “catch up” with a situation that could have been anticipated as the northern neighbourhood was once forested land, wildlife rescue veteran Kalaivanan Balakrishnan told The Straits Times during a podcast recording.

The chief executive of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) said: “In the case of Punggol, we should have known at least a decade ago, when the developments were happening, that one day, this will happen because back then, there were already macaques there.”

Following ST’s award-winning Green Trails podcast, co-hosts Ang Qing and Shabana Begum return to discuss human-wildlife coexistence in Singapore with Mr Kalaivanan and Ms Jasvic Lye, campaign manager of Our Wild Neighbours, an outreach initiative.

Have a listen to this new episode of Green Pulse to find out more about how solutions to manage urban wildlife – and people’s acceptance of the animals – can be improved.

This episode was recorded and filmed last month in front of an intimate live audience of 95 people who packed The Fashion Pulpit in Jalan Besar. The evening was part of the ST Podcast Live! Sessions celebrating 180 years of The Straits Times.