A monkey bit a woman’s arm while attempting to take her handbag during a hiking trip at MacRitchie Reservoir.
The incident occurred at 10:00 AM on Friday (7 Mar 2025) when Ms. Zhao, a woman in her 30s, was hiking with three friends.
The group had stopped to wait for one friend who was walking behind them.
“I saw a monkey ahead with two smaller monkeys behind it. When I turned my back, the monkey rushed forward and tried to snatch my handbag,” Ms. Zhao said.
She held onto her bag because it contained her car keys and wallet, which she worried would be lost if she let go.
Her handbag also contained food items – a banana and a piece of bread.
Within five seconds of the struggle, the monkey bit her arm, causing her to release the handbag.
“I wanted to kick the monkey, but I was wearing shorts and was afraid of getting bitten,” she explained.
Video footage captured the monkey attempting to bite through the light blue handbag before successfully unzipping it and removing the banana.
Ms. Zhao noted that while her friend’s backpack also contained similar food items, the others carried dark-colored backpacks.
“The monkey might have been drawn to the color of my handbag, and the fact that it wasn’t a backpack made it a target,” she said.
She believes the monkey became “annoyed” when she resisted giving up her handbag.
After the incident, Ms. Zhao initially cleaned the wound with a wet tissue. She later sought medical treatment due to concerns about potential viruses.
The hospital visit resulted in a tetanus shot and antibiotics prescription, with medical costs totaling approximately SGD$200.
Ms. Zhao now warns other hikers, especially those new to MacRitchie Reservoir.
“If you must bring food while hiking, remember to keep food and valuables separate. If food gets snatched, you can simply abandon the bag.”
The National Parks Board advises the public to remain quiet and calm when encountering monkeys outdoors.
People should avoid making sudden movements or maintaining eye contact with monkeys.
The board recommends using backpacks instead of plastic bags, as monkeys typically associate plastic bags with food.
If a monkey shows interest in an item someone is holding, the person should discard or hide that item.
