African monkey escapes from Mandai zoo, gets caught 6 months later

SINGAPORE – Who let the monkey out? The Mandai Wildlife Group is trying to find that out as it reviews its safety protocols after a monkey native to Africa escaped from the Singapore Zoo six months earlier.

The black-and-white colobus named Mykel was safely captured from an area of the Rail Corridor in Choa Chu Kang and returned to the zoo on Nov 1, said a spokesperson for the group.

The 14-year-old male monkey was first seen near Woodlands Road on Oct 31 by a member of the public, who called the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) rescue hotline, said an Acres spokesperson.

The monkey, known for its distinctive U-shaped mantle of long white fur that descends from its shoulders and around its back, made its way to trees near a playground at Villa Verde Park, which is about 3km from the zoo.

Mykel will undergo a health check when brought back to the zoo, Mandai Wildlife Group said, adding that the animal appears healthy and in good physical condition.

The group said that Mykel, which used to reside at the Primate Kingdom at the Singapore Zoo, had separated from his troop six months ago.

After discovering his disappearance, the zoo began search operations.

The Mandai Wildlife Group spokesperson said that changes in the social dynamics within the colobus troop can influence a member’s behaviour, potentially leading to separation.

“In this instance, rather than engaging in a confrontation, the monkey opted to flee and managed to cross the exhibit’s perimeter fence, leveraging a connecting pole.

“This has been rectified to prevent recurrence. We have also since stabilised the social grouping to ensure cohesion among the troop members, enhancing the overall well-being of the animals.”

Mandai Wildlife Group’s animal care staff have also received additional training to recognise early signs of social changes and intervene as necessary, said the spokesperson.

When The Straits Times arrived at about 11.15am on Nov 1 at the Rail Corridor area, several people – some donning vests with the logo of the National Parks Board, with others wearing Mandai Wildlife Group shirts – were seen there. A man was also seen with a long-barrelled dart gun aimed at the monkey.

A crane arrived at around 1.30pm to capture the monkey, and the rescuers managed to catch the primate about 20 minutes later.

According to the Singapore Zoo’s website, the black-and-white colobus is native to rainforests and open woodlands in Central and East Africa.

Born completely with white fur, the monkey will develop black and white fur as it grows, allowing it to camouflage itself in forest canopies.

It can leap up to 15m and seldom descends to the ground.

According to the African Wildlife Foundation’s website, the monkey can grow up to 75cm and 14kg. Mykel weighs 11kg, said Mandai Wildlife Group’s spokesperson, who did not say what is the length of the primate.

The black-and-white colobus is classified as “least concerned” in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

Other wild animals have been spotted in Singapore – in some cases in the heartland – in recent years.

In 2023, a rare silvered langur was spotted “zoning out” in Clementi Woods Park. This was the first such sighting of the animal here.

That same year, a Malayan tapir was spotted at the Punggol Park Connector. The mammal most likely swam here from Malaysia, said a spokesman for Acres.

In 2019, three dusky langurs (Trachypithecus obscurus), a species native to Malaysia but not Singapore, were seen in Woodlands, before they were spotted a year later in Thomson Nature Park.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.