In Penang, a community-led conservation effort is giving the endangered dusky langur a fighting chance — using little more than upcycled fire hoses and local goodwill.
The Langur Project Penang (LPP), founded by Yap Jo Leen, has installed three artificial canopy bridges across busy roads to protect the dusky leaf monkeys from fatal collisions with vehicles.
“I realised that they don’t just stay in the forest. They also cross roads to the coastal area to look for food,” said Yap.
At one crossing known as Numi’s Crossing, at least eight monkeys died in traffic accidents between 2016 and 2018. Since the first rope bridge was installed in 2019, not a single death has been recorded at the site.
The bridges are made from twisted, upcycled fire hoses designed to mimic natural tree branches. They are suspended over roads from trees on one side and custom-installed poles on the other. The latest bridge, dubbed the Obscura Bridge, was installed in Batu Ferringhi in April 2026.
“At the time, the idea was wild because no one in Malaysia had actually done it before,” Yap recalled.
Beyond rope bridges, LPP runs a citizen science programme called “Monkey Stalkers” that recruits locals aged 17 to 65. Volunteers receive a small stipend and training in fieldwork, using the Wikiloc GPS app and spreadsheets to track the langurs’ movements.
“You don’t need background knowledge in zoology or biology. Anyone can be a citizen scientist,” said Teo Hoon Cheng, a former IT manager and volunteer.
The data collected helps researchers understand home ranges and feeding habits, which could eventually guide reforestation efforts.
Community mediation is another pillar of the project. Retired graphic designer Tan Soo Siah, 64, acts as a liaison between LPP and residents who grow frustrated with langurs making noise on rooftops or entering homes through open windows.
“Somebody needs to step up to act as a bridge for this communication,” said Tan.
Residents are advised to use a gentle spray of water as a deterrent rather than harming the animals.
“We’ve encroached into their habitat. We have to coexist, learn to live with each other,” said local resident Lim Hock Cheng, 66. “The dusky langurs are also part of our society.”
The dusky langur faces threats from habitat fragmentation, road kills, human conflict and poaching. The LPP project was produced in collaboration with Mongabay and Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Source: Malay Mail
