May 11, 02:55 PM 
514 Chai Chee Lane 03-16, Singapore 469029 A S$500 fine issued by the National Parks Board has made its way onto Facebook.
The funniest line is the observation of the offence committed at Mandai/ Old Upper Thomson Road:
Offence:
You did feed monkeys with peanuts in contravention of Sec - 9(1)(a) of the Parks & Trees Act (Cap. 216)
Amount offered to compound: S$500
This seems to suggest a park ranger must have caught the offender specifically feeding one type of food, and the offender subsequently had no choice but admit to committing the act.
For'>
But if you think a S$500 fine is hefty just for feeding the monkeys, well, it is.
NParks had raised the fine limit starting February 2008 in a bid to dissuade humans from making the monkeys reliant on handouts as it domesticates them and makes them aggressive towards children.
From NParks:
With effect from 1 February 2008, the National Parks Board (NParks) will raise its composition fine on monkey feeders from $250 to $500. The increase in composition fine is part of the ongoing efforts to help curb issues relating to nuisance monkeys in our urban environment.
Monkey feeding endangers both humans and monkeys. It adversely alters the natural behaviour of monkeys as it makes them reliant on humans for food. Such monkeys become too familiar with humans and this results in their nuisance and at times aggressive behaviour towards people, especially children. Monkey feeding also results in an unhealthy growth of monkey population, and monkeys straying out of the nature reserves into residential areas. Sadly, monkeys often have to be culled for this reason.
NParks does not believe that enforcement is the only way to curb the monkey feeding problem. We also conduct educational outreach programmes, put up signage and distribute pamphlets to explain the consequences of monkey feeding, and why it is an offence. CCTVs have also been installed at selected spots at our nature reserves to deter monkey feeding. In addition, we monkey-proof dustbins in residential areas near our nature reserves.
Previously, a chef was fined S$4,000 in January 2008 for feeding bread to the monkeys in Mandai nature reserve.
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