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The Bukit Timah Monkey Man, commonly abbreviated as BTM or BTMM, is a cryptid said to inhabit Singapore,〔 chiefly in the forested Bukit Timah region. The creature is often cited as a forest-dwelling hominid or primate, and is also accounted for as being immortal; however, its exact identity remains unknown, and its existence disputed. Documentation of the BTM is sparse and scattered; the creature is largely considered a product of local folklore. Karl Shuker, a leading cryptozoologist, however has featured the BTM at length in his book ''Extraordinary Animals Revisited'' (2007).〔 〕 Alleged sightings of the animal are rare. Records come mainly from Malay folklore, accounts from Japanese soldiers in World War II, and occasional unconfirmed reports from local residents. The first claimed sighting is said to have occurred in about 1805; the most recent was in 2007. The BTM is said to be hominid-like, greyish in colour, and between one and two meters (3 to 6 feet) in height, with a bipedal gait. All sightings have been centred upon the Bukit Timah region, which gives rise to the cryptid's name.〔 If the creature truly existed, its living habitat would be markedly small. The Bukit Timah rainforest, its habitation, is in area, amounting to approximately , and the area is frequented by visitors and park watchers. Additionally, the area is wholly enclosed by urban settlements, being just 12 kilometres from the city centre,〔 which would likely increase detection by humans. Some experts believe claims of the BTM to be a case of mistaken identity; that the observations were probably that of large Crab-eating Macaques, a monkey species common to the area. Reports are also often dismissed as mass hysteria. == Sightings == Sightings of the BTM are rare, almost all in the Bukit Timah region and its vicinity. The first report of the creature came in 1805, before the colonial British discovery of Singapore, when a Malay elder claimed to have seen an upright-walking, monkey-faced creature in the Bukit Timah area. Japanese soldiers also reported the creature during World War II. Richard Freeman, a cryptozoologist, has argued that an animal such as the Monkey Man could have easily inhabited Singapore in the pre-colonial days. The most recent sighting of the BTM was in 2007. A Singapore tabloid, ''The New Paper'', has since featured the cryptid on its papers, gathering accounts from a number of witnesses. Amongst those highlighted in the article are: A 48-year-old taxi driver, who lives around the neighbourhood of Serangoon, was quoted as saying:
A 29-year-old housewife said:
A 65-year-old retiree from the neighbourhood of Bukit Panjang recalled the creature from his childhood, saying:
The Chinese-language paper Shin Min Daily News also reported on the BTM in 2008, stating that the Monkey Man would appear after dark in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. The paper described the creature as having the face of a monkey but walking upright like a man; it dispatched a journalist to comb for evidence, but the expedition proved futile. The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve official take provided at that point in time was that people were mistaking the common long-tailed (aka crab-eating) macaque monkeys for the Monkey Man.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bukit Timah Monkey Man」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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