Sky bridges, citizen science protect endangered Malaysia monkeys
A graceful black monkey edges across a swaying red rope bridge strung over a busy residential road in Malaysia's Penang, watched by local conservationists who carefully record her movements.
For Malaysia's endangered dusky langurs, recognizable by the "masks" of white fur that ring their eyes, survival increasingly depends on such man-made crossings and the work of "citizen scientists."
A fragmented habitat, conflict with local communities, and poaching have all pushed the species to endangered status.
But the Langur Project Penang (LPP) conservation group hopes that low-tech engineering and high-tech community engagement can help protect the species, also known as the dusky leaf monkey.
Key to their efforts is helping the monkeys navigate fragmented habitat crisscrossed by busy roads where the animals are often killed.
LPP founder Yap Jo Leen realized the need for a solution when she saw dusky langurs repeatedly risking road crossings as she carried out fieldwork in 2016.
"I realized that they don't just stay in the forest. They also cross roads to the coastal area to look for food," she told AFP.
She came up with the idea of building some kind of crossing, and pairing the solution with community engagement.
"At the time, the idea was wild because no one in Malaysia had actually done it before" she said of the crossing plan.
Similar canopy bridges have helped other endangered primates elsewhere, including in Indonesia, where an orangutan was recently seen using such a crossing for the first time.
The new 'bridges' are key to helping the monkeys navigate a fragmented habitat crisscrossed by busy roads where the animals are often killed.
Upcycled fire hoses "twisted to mimic tree branches" and suspended over roads allow groups of monkeys that were once largely confined to an area to expand their range.
Two dusky langurs called "Julie" (top) and "Bulat" (bottom), named by the Langur Project Penang (LPP), cross an artificial canopy bridge called 'Numi's Crossing' in George Town on Malaysia's Penang Island.
Langur Project Penang project executive Wong Hui Yi uses a live tracking application to monitor dusky langurs at a playground near residential buildings on Malaysia's Penang Island.