Off the rails: Monkey trouble disrupts Hong Kong’s MTR for second day in a row

Skip to content MTR services on the Tsuen Wan Line were disrupted on Friday for around an hour owing to a monkey on the tracks. It is the second primate-related transit incident in as many days. Commuters observe an intruder on the tracks at Tsuen Wan station. Photo: MTRC. Police and staff from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department responded to reports of the monkey sighting at around 9am at Tsuen Wan station. Normal services resumed at around 10am after the monkey was removed. Monkey business on the Kwun Tong Line on July 23, 2026. Photo: Supplied. On Thursday, a similar rush-hour incident at Kowloon Bay station caused disruptions on the Kwun Tong Line. Journey times increased but train frequencies were unaffected, according to the rail operator. Executive Chair of the Non-Profit Making Veterinary Services Society Mark Mak told iCable that wild animals would inevitably venture into urban areas for food in a city like Hong Kong, where city centres and rural areas are close to each other. “We’re building a city on animal habitats, how can we tell the animals, ‘Do you know this isn’t your home?’ They wouldn’t know, so don’t be alarmed if animals appear in the city,” he was quoted as saying in Cantonese. Trespassing on train tracks carries a penalty of up to HK$5,000, whilst entering paid areas without a ticket carries a maximum penalty HK$5,000 or three years in prison. Additional reporting: Hans Tse. Safeguard press freedom; keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps Make a one-off donation. Tom founded Hong Kong Free Press in 2015 as the city's first crowdfunded newspaper. He has a BA in Communications and New Media from Leeds University and an MA in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong. He previously founded an NGO advocating for domestic worker rights, and has contributed to the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Al-Jazeera and others. Tom leads HKFP – raising funds, managing the team and navigating risk – whilst regularly speaking on press freedom, ethics and media funding at industry events, schools and conferences around the world. More by Tom Grundy