Wild monkeys frequently enter residential homes in Wong Tai Sin

Wild monkeys from Lion Rock have been frequently entering residential areas in the Wong Tai Sin district, causing safety concerns and panic among local residents. In Chui Chuk Garden alone, eight incidents of monkeys entering private units were recorded within a month and a half.

District councillors Chan Ying and Yiu Yat-wah have reported numerous complaints regarding monkeys scavenging through trash, snatching food from pedestrians, and attempting to climb into homes in areas including Chui Chuk Garden, Pang Ching Court, and the Chuk Yuen South and North Estates.

Legislative Council member Yeung Wing-kit noted an upward trend in these intrusions compared to previous years. He suggested that the change in foraging habits is likely due to a decrease in people feeding the monkeys on the mountain, combined with leftover offerings from the Hungry Ghost Festival. To address the issue, officials are being urged to implement a sterilization program to control the monkey population and reduce their need to descend into urban areas for food.