While walking her dog in Yishun, one woman spotted some "cute" macaques attempting to cross the road.

Amused by the scene, she decided to film them with her phone.

However, the playful moment quickly turned alarming when the monkeys suddenly charged at her.

The encounter was later uploaded on TikTok, garnering over 129,000 views.

The woman, who goes by Rohini, shared with Mothership that the incident happened at Yishun Ring Road, her usual route for walking her dog.

Unexpected

"As I walk, I saw monkeys trying to cross the road, so it was cute [and] I decided to take a video of them crossing [with] no intention to disturb them as I was still walking while shooting the video," she shared.

In the video, the monkeys can be seen on the other side of the road, seemingly waiting for a car to pass by.

Once the road was clear, the monkeys darted across, apparently setting their sights on Rohini and her dog.

Realising that the monkeys were heading for her, Rohini can be heard in the clip screaming and shouting "Let's go!" to her dog.

"They were aggressive as they were showing their teeth .. one of the monkeys was so close [and] attacked my dog and slapped her, I had to scream and throw my umbrella at it and run away," she said.

Nearby cars honked, startling the monkeys and causing them to stop, she added.

"I thought I was going to lose my dog, as it was beside the road, I was worried the leash might come off as she was also panicking," Rohini recounted.

What to do if you encounter macaques

Baring teeth is a sign of aggression in macaques.

Rohini also clarified that she was not holding any plastic bags at the time — macaques have been known to attack those holding plastic bags, believing that there is food inside.

If you ever find yourself in a similar situation with macaques, here are some important tips to keep in mind:

• Remain calm and quiet.
• Do not make sudden movements.
• Do not maintain eye contact with the monkeys.
• Conceal all food and plastic bags.
• Do not try to hit the monkey.
• Look away and back off slowly.
• Keep away from the area until the monkeys have left.

Members of the public can call the National Parks Board's Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600 if they require further assistance.

Other monkey business

Top photos from beauty.byro/TikTok