It’s Recess Week at NUS and we have been issued a cease and desist order over academic activity for students so they can catchup. Which means it’s a time for academics to engage in a frenzy of catchup activity. this with great longing I think of this dusky leaf monkey (also spectacled leaf monkey, ‘lotong mata puteh’; Trachypithecus obscurus) whom I enjoyed observing spend a lazy afternoon on a tree branch at Penang National Park (Taman Negara Pulau Pinang).
This area was my haunt in the early 90’s when it was Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve. During my brief visit, I was relieved to see the area quite unchanged. All thanks to efforts over decades by naturalists (especially Malaysian Nature Society) which led to the area declared a national park in 2003.
The Dusky leaf monkey is also easily seen at Penang Botanical Gardens.
Otterman speaks... 