S2E23: How do we avoid human-animal clashes in S’pore?

Sep 1, 2025

29:04

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Starting with Punggol, The Straits Times looks at how a city in nature can co-exist with wildlife.

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.

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.

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 Balakrishnan, chief executive of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) and Ms Jasvic Lye, campaign manager of Our Wild Neighbours, an outreach initiative.

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.

Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):

1:12 Gaps in Singapore’s approach to human-wildlife conflict

10:16 Biggest challenges when managing conflict

14:25 Common myths about wildlife that Singaporeans buy into

18:10 How wildlife can guide city planning

22:45 What young people can do to better manage human-wildlife encounters

How we can beat the heat in Singapore: https://str.sg/952d

More on Our Wild Neighbours: https://str.sg/K8Jw

More on Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (Acres): https://str.sg/F6c6

Discover ST’s award-winning Green Trails series: https://str.sg/rL6r

Follow Ang Qing on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ichp

Read her articles: https://str.sg/i5gT