Rare monkey sighted in Bukit Timah area after more than 30 years
SINGAPORE – A critically endangered, black-and-white monkey that is native to Singapore has been sighted in the Bukit Timah area for the first time in more than 30 years.
The Raffles’ banded langur was previously thought to be found only within the Central Catchment Nature Reserve after the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) was built in 1983, cleaving Singapore’s green heart into two.
The last langur at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve died in 1987.
But on April 7 this year, one langur was spotted and photographed by National Parks Board (NParks) staff at Dairy Farm Nature Park.
This nature park sits next to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, and is separated by the BKE from the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
The NParks staff wrote about their recent sighting in a paper published on Wednesday (June 30) on the website of the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.
The Raffles’ banded langur is rare in Singapore, and should not be confused with its more widespread cousin – the cheeky, brown-furred long-tailed macaque.
There are only an estimated 67 Raffles’ banded langurs left in the wild.
The Raffles’ banded langur can be found only in Singapore and southern Peninsular Malaysia and nowhere else in the world.
In 2013, the EcoLink @ BKE was completed, forming a bridge that connects the two nature reserves at the heart of Singapore.
“Since then, the trees planted on the bridge have grown considerably, some attaining heights of more than 15m, thereby making the habitat suitable for use by arboreal animals,” said the researchers in the latest paper.
Arboreal animals are tree-dwelling species.
The authors said it was not possible to conclusively determine if the langur had made its way to Bukit Timah over the eco-link.
However, they said another possible crossing site at Rifle Range flyover seemed unlikely, as the shy monkey would have had to travel around 75m while fully exposed on the road or pedestrian footpath.
In 2017, a Raffles’ banded langur was found as roadkill on the BKE, just south of the flyover.
Primatologist Andie Ang, chair of the Raffles’ banded langur working group, said that although there had been anecdotal sightings of the species in the Bukit Timah area from 2019, the langur was never photographed there.
Dr Ang, a Mandai Nature research scientist, said that while it remained unclear how the langur got across from the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, the sighting was still significant.
“It shows that the langurs are expanding their range, and that it’s important to restore connectivity,” she said.
In the latest paper, the authors from NParks said the board had been enhancing and restoring habitats through efforts such as tree planting in the nature reserves and their buffer nature parks.
Two rope bridges had also been installed along Old Upper Thomson Road to facilitate the movement of arboreal species, including the langurs.
In April last year, camera trap footage showed the langurs using the crossing aid.
“More rope bridges will be added to the central nature park network where appropriate. Hopefully, these efforts will improve habitat quality and connectivity, which are essential for the recovery of endangered species like the Raffles’ banded langur,” they added.
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