New bridge a lifesaver for langurs

GEORGE TOWN: They came, they crossed and they got killed.

Now with the installation of the country’s first residential road canopy bridge, treetop animals like the dusky langurs (Trachypithecus obscurus) can safely cross the busy stretch along Jalan Lembah Permai in Tanjung Bungah.

Built with sustainable and eco-friendly methods, the 6m above-the-ground crossing consists of a firehose that is connected to two poles on each side of the road.

Primatologist Dr Yap Jo Leen hoped that the bridge under Langur Project Penang (LPP), which costs between RM35,000 and RM45,000, could save the dusky langur.

“This bridge, or Numi’s Crossing, is to establish co-existence between human and non-human primates like the urban monkeys and langurs.

“Our team has been studying dusky langurs in urban Penang for several years.

“We found that there is a need to help langurs and other treetop animals cross roads safely.

“Besides being a bridge for wildlife, it can also remind people on the ground to remember their nature and roots, as well as to co-share spaces with our urban wildlife neighbours,” she said during the recent installation of the crossing here.

Yap said the team had identified at least four groups of dusky langurs living with residents in the Lembah Permai area.

She said the langurs lost their homes to deforestation, habitat loss and the building of human settlements near forested areas.

“In Penang, we are blessed with hills, where we can find lots of different species of mammals, ranging from monkeys to squirrels.

“In Lembah Permai, you can see the dusky langurs. The long-tail macaques, as well as other species such as small invertebrates, are not really far from here.

“But with the township getting bigger, these animals ended up crossing paths with humans.

“We have been studying the dusky langur groups before coming up with suitable mitigation measures.

“Innovative strategies like monkey guarding and road canopy bridges offer hope for a future where humans and wildlife thrive together,” she said.

Yap said they submitted a detailed proposal for the urban firehose canopy bridge to the state’s Public Works Department before an approval was granted in October last year.

She said the project was in collaboration with Animal Projects & Environmental Education Sdn Bhd (APE Malaysia), a local social enterprise; the Tanjung Bungah assemblyman service centre and the Tanjung Bungah Community Management Council, with the endorsement of Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Zairil Khir Johari.

LPP adviser and Universiti Sains Malaysia biologist Dr Nadine Ruppert said it is crucial for these endangered primates and other animals that live in human-impacted areas to safely travel between green habitat patches to find food and shelter.

“Bridges like this, together with protecting existing and planting more trees, should become standard in urban areas,” she said.

LPP was behind the successful project involving Malaysia’s first urban canopy bridge in Teluk Bahang in 2019.

Known as the Ah Lai Crossing, it has since been used by various wildlife to cross the busy road to this day, with zero primate roadkill recorded at the site.

In 2020, Yap was recognised as one of the 10 winners of the Star Golden Hearts Award 2020, an annual award that celebrates the efforts of Malaysia’s unsung heroes.

This project is funded by the CIMB Islamic conservation grant with The Habitat Foundation as the project coordinator and principal partner.