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A MAN who was recorded spraying paint at a monkey inside a cage in Taman Desa Moccis, U17 Shah Alam, has claimed he did so to frighten the animal and deter others from disturbing his neighbourhood.
Selangor Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Wan Mohd Adib Wan Mohd Yusoh said the 62-year-old resident was detained on the day of the incident and later released on police bail after his statement was taken.
“He claimed his actions were meant to scare off other monkeys,” Wan Mohd Adib told Harian Metro.
“When our officers arrived at the scene, the monkey was no longer there. Based on information gathered, the individual released the animal after spraying it with paint.”
Wan Mohd Adib confirmed that the area had indeed faced recurring monkey disturbances and that Perhilitan had received complaints and taken ongoing action in response. However, he stressed that the man’s actions were unacceptable.
“The individual's response was inappropriate and contravenes existing wildlife protection laws,” he said, adding that investigations are being carried out under Section 86 of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 \[Act 716].
He added the completed investigation paper will be referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s Office for further action.
The public has been urged not to resort to cruelty when dealing with wildlife issues but to report such matters directly to the authorities.
“We take any form of cruelty against wildlife very seriously. Stern action will be taken against any individual found violating the provisions of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010,” said Wan Mohd Adib.
Earlier, police confirmed receiving a report regarding the paint-spraying incident, prompting action from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan), which led to the man’s brief detention. - May 26, 2025
