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SINGAPORE: S$3,000 is how much you would likely have to pay if you are caught feeding monkeys at nature reserves.
Justice V K Rajah said this amount would be the benchmark for future cases.
He set the guideline after accepting the appeal of 45-year-old Panneerselvam Arunasalam and reduced his fine from S$4,000 to S$1,000.
Under the Parks and Trees Act, monkey feeders can be fined up to S$50,000 and jailed up to six months.
Justice Rajah said it is not appropriate to use Panneerselvam Arunasalam's case to send a message because he had committed the offence before the heightened media coverage on the issue.
Panneerselvam Arunasalam was caught last August after he fed bread to monkeys at Mandai.
The National Parks Board is enforcing stricter controls because it says monkey feeding endangers both humans and animals.
Monkeys become reliant on humans for food and they could become a nuisance and even turn aggressive. Their population could also grow and they could stray out of the nature reserves into residential areas.
Nearly 160 people were fined for feeding monkeys last year - up from about 140 in 2006 - despite outreach programmes and clear signages reminding the public not to feed the monkeys. - CNA/ir
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