GEORGE TOWN: High above the traffic in Batu Ferringhi, a striking red “rope bridge” now stretches across the road – not for humans, but for one of Penang’s most elusive residents.
Fashioned from retired fire hoses twisted into thick, vine-like ropes, the 15m-long crossing, aptly named The Obscura, is giving dusky langurs (Trachypithecus obscurus) a safer path through an increasingly fragmented urban landscape.
Suspended like a braided liana vine, the structure mimics the natural vines these primates instinctively use, while offering a tough, weather-resistant lifeline between treetops.
For years, wildlife – especially dusky langurs – risked death each time they crossed this stretch, scrambling along utility cables or descending to the ground to dart through traffic.
That risk may now be significantly reduced with the installation of the new canopy crossing, the third built in Penang under Langur Project Penang’s (LPP) Bridge To Coexist initiative.
LPP founder Dr Yap Jo Leen said the bridge was installed at a known hotspot where langurs frequently move between fragmented forest patches.
“The animals either used utility cables or came down to cross the road while dodging traffic. Canopy crossings give them a safer option,” she said at the installation on Wednesday.
The idea behind using decommissioned fire hoses is both simple and effective.
The woven material provides excellent grip, supports weight well and withstands the elements, all while repurposing equipment that would otherwise be discarded.
Yap said the latest structure builds on the success of two earlier crossings in Teluk Bahang and Tanjung Bungah, where camera-monitoring has recorded consistent wildlife use.
“At least nine species have been recorded using the bridges, including dusky langurs, Malayan giant squirrels, slow lorises, macaques, civets, reptiles and snakes,” she said.
She said the first crossing – Ah Lai’s Crossing in Teluk Bahang, installed in 2019 – has recorded about 8,500 crossings, while the second – Numi’s Crossing in Tanjung Bungah, installed in 2024 – has logged 800 crossings.
LPP project executive Wong Hui Yi said The Obscura cost about RM100,000, with the bridge and installation works accounting for roughly RM30,000.
The structure was assembled on-site and installed in four hours using a bucket crane, with volunteers assisting on the ground while two technicians secured the crossing between three poles.
The dusky langur, also known as the spectacled leaf monkey, is a shy, tree-dwelling primate found in parts of Peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand and Myanmar, and is easily recognised by its distinctive white eye-rings and bright orange-coloured young.
