Abstract
The introduction of exotic species can have detrimental effects on local populations via factors such as resource competition and new threats from disease. Singapore has three native species of non-human primates: Sunda Slow Loris Nycticebus coucang, Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis, and Raffles’ Banded Langur Presbytis femoralis. Over the past few months, several non-native Dusky Langurs Trachypithecus obscurus were observed in Singapore. We document our observations, compile reports from social media, and attempt to assess the potential impacts on local primates. Whenever Dusky Langurs were encountered, we recorded the date, time, GPS coordinates, group demographics, and behaviour, including interactions with native primates. We also monitored sighting reports of Dusky Langurs posted on local major Facebook groups from 30 December 2019 to 31 January 2020, and privately messaged the person(s) for more information. On 31 August 2019, three Dusky Langurs were seen near a residential area in the northern part of Singapore, and two to three individuals were reported on 14 subsequent occasions. During one encounter on 18 January 2020, an adult male Long-tailed Macaque chased a group of Dusky Langurs from a feeding tree. The next day the same group of Dusky Langurs chased a group of 11 Banded Langurs from another feeding tree. The Dusky Langurs appeared to be healthy and wild, indicating that they may have swum across the Johor Strait and/or traveled on the Johor-Singapore Causeway from Malaysia. Further monitoring of these Dusky Langurs will be required to assess their impact on local primates.
Highlights
Singapore is home to three species of non-human primates—Sunda Slow Loris Nycticebus coucang, Longtailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis fascicularis, and Raffles’ Banded Langur Presbytis femoralis
In 2015, a Southern Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca nemestrina was rescued from a car workshop and later rehomed in Malaysia (AsiaOne 2015)
At 10.30h on 31 August 2019, staff of the National Parks Board (NParks) of Singapore were informed by a member of public that a group of Dusky Langurs was seen at 891B Woodlands Drive 50 in the northern part of Singapore
Summary
Singapore is home to three species of non-human primates—Sunda Slow Loris Nycticebus coucang, Longtailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis fascicularis, and Raffles’ Banded Langur Presbytis femoralis. The Raffles’ Banded Langur is nationally Critically Endangered (Lim et al 2008) and is considered Critically Endangered globally given its small population size (60 individuals in Singapore and 250– 300 individuals in Malaysia), and a recent recommendation to elevate it from subspecies to species (Ang et al 2020). In addition to these primate species, sightings of others have been reported in Singapore over the years. In 2015, a Southern Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca nemestrina was rescued from a car workshop and later rehomed in Malaysia (AsiaOne 2015)
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