By Yasmin Ramlan
SHAH ALAM, Jan 27 — In the heart of Malaysia’s lush rainforest, a silent crisis emerges — a struggle that pits primates against the constant advance of human development.
Worldwide, primates are vital players in maintaining forest ecosystems, acting as nature’s gardeners by dispersing seeds to regenerate plant communities and sustain biodiversity.
“The decline in primate populations can have cascading effects on the overall health of the ecosystem,” Nadine Ruppert, associate professor of Universiti Sains Malaysia’s School of Biological Sciences, told Selangor Journal.
Yet, as global primate populations face unprecedented declines — with over 60 per cent of species now threatened — their plight has become increasingly intertwined with human activities, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts.
In Malaysia, the story is equally sombre.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, of the 26 primate species that call Malaysia home, 15 are endangered or critically endangered.
They are the Bornean orangutan, Raffles’ banded langur, Bornean banded langur, lar gibbon, agile gibbon, Abbott’s gray gibbon, long-tailed macaque, southern pig-tailed macaque, dusky langur, proboscis monkey, greater slow loris, northern gray gibbon, siamang, Sabah grizzled langur, and Bengal slow loris.
Eight other species are considered vulnerable, while three are categorised as near threatened.
Ruppert said deforestation for agricultural purposes, logging, and urban development have reduced the available habitat for these species.
“As primates lose their natural habitats, they are forced to venture into human-dominated areas in search of food, leading to increased exposure to human threats, such as vehicle collisions, road kills and retaliatory killings.”
She explained that habitat fragmentation has isolated primate populations, making it difficult for them to find food, mates, and shelter. This, she said, can lead to inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity, which can further threaten their survival.
In Peninsular Malaysia, human-wildlife conflict involving species like the long-tailed macaque have become increasingly common, often casting these animals in a negative light as they scavenge for food in urban areas.
Yet, this narrative overlooks the ecological importance of primates and the complex balance they maintain within their ecosystems.
Ruppert cited rapid urbanisation in Selangor as an example of human activities that have led to habitat fragmentation, forcing primates to venture to human settlements and resulting in negative encounters with people.
Johor and Pahang have also reported similar incidents, with primates often feeding on crops and causing economic losses for farmers.
[caption id="attachment_387292" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Image for illustration purposes only. — Picture via UNSPLASH/JAMES LO[/caption]
The next Sumatran rhinos?
Once a symbol of Southeast Asia’s rich biodiversity, the Sumatran rhino has been driven to extinction in the wild in Malaysia due to a challenging combination of habitat loss, poaching, and alarmingly low reproductive rates.
Today, said Ruppert, Malaysia’s primates find themselves in a similarly vulnerable state, grappling with relentless encroachment of deforestation, urban expansion, and agricultural activities that are rapidly erasing their natural habitats.
“If these issues are not addressed, the populations of many Malaysian primate species, including orangutans, gibbons, macaques and langurs, could continue to decline.
“This can potentially lead to the extinction of some species with low reproductive output, such as the orangutan and all gibbon species,” she said.
Ruppert warned it can also affect critically endangered species that are highly specialised and restricted to certain areas, such as the Raffles’ banded langur, which can only be found on the southern tip of the Malay peninsula, including Singapore, Johor and Pahang — only around 300 are estimated left in the wild.
Declining primate populations can lead to a broader loss of biodiversity, she said, impacting various plant and animal species since primates play essential roles in their ecosystems.
Ruppert added that human-wildlife conflict involving primates in Malaysia is a growing concern due to increasing anthropogenic pressures.
“Primates that often rely on intact canopies for movement and on certain plant species as food sources are particularly affected by forest loss. In degraded landscapes, negative interactions often arise from primates feeding on crops, in gardens and orchards, or damaging property, which leads to economic losses.
“Negative interactions are also facilitated by food provisioning — either by direct feeding or indirectly through inappropriate garbage disposal, which changes the natural behaviour of primates, sometimes leading to aggressive encounters.”
Ruppert, who has primarily focused her studies and researches on macaques in Peninsular Malaysia throughout her career, shared that the long-tailed macaque (macaca fascicularis) and pig-tailed macaque (macaca nemestrina) are the species most frequently involved in human interactions.
However, she pointed out that langurs have also been involved in such incidents, much like orangutans, which were once commonly reported in similar cases in Sabah and Sarawak.
[caption id="attachment_387293" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Image for illustration purposes only. — Picture via UNSPLASH/ETITENNE GIRARDET[/caption]
Balancing development, wildlife conservation
For Malaysian Nature Society president Anna Wong@Wong Yun Moi, the impact of habitat loss due to deforestation and urban expansion on wildlife populations is nothing short of alarming.
“Once their habitats are replaced by development, wildlife lose their homes and food sources, leaving them with no choice but to migrate to other areas — sometimes even into human settlements.
“When exposed to disturbed environments, they become more vulnerable, leading to a decline in their populations.
“Both humans and wildlife face challenges. Wildlife need habitats to survive, while humans require space for living and activities. Unfortunately, while humans often blame wildlife for encroaching on their settlements, it is human activities and exploitation that force wildlife out of their natural habitats,” she told Selangor Journal.
She stressed the urgent need for effective conservation strategies, emphasising the importance of harmonising human development with wildlife preservation before it is too late.
Expressing her concerns, Wong called for policy changes and strategies to effectively address human-wildlife conflict, stressing the need for authorities to consider the impact of development projects on primate populations.
“The authorities must step in, especially in any development project, to assess the potential risks to primates, ensuring they are not isolated or trapped as a result of the proposed development.”
“If necessary, authorities should either translocate the wildlife or create corridors to facilitate their movement to refuges or protected areas. Therefore, any development must strictly adhere to Environmental Impact Assessment guidelines or other conservation regulations,” she said.
She also encouraged a mindset of tolerance towards wildlife, advising residents to wildlife departments in critical situations. Additionally, she said the importance of not feeding wildlife, as it prevents them from becoming dependent on human food sources and helps reduce conflicts.
[caption id="attachment_387294" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Image for illustration purposes only. — Picture via UNSPLASH/MOCHAMAD ARIEF[/caption]
Ensuring survival
Elaborating her concerns on human-wildlife conflicts, Ruppert said rural communities dependent on agriculture suffer economic losses from crop raiding by primates, resulting in injuries and increased stress for farmers who rely on their harvests.
Meanwhile, in urban and tourist areas, primates disrupt their natural diets by scavenging human waste, which threaten their populations.
“Conflicts and illegal wildlife trade further endanger these species, while such interactions can also spread zoonotic diseases, posing health risks to both humans and primates,” she said.
Ruppert emphasised the crucial role of local communities in mitigating human-wildlife conflicts on a global scale.
Citing Citizen Science initiatives like the Langur Project Penang as an example, she highlighted how community members can monitor wildlife movements and report incidents in collaboration with government agencies and non-governmental organisations.
This collaborative approach, she explained, is essential for early detection and intervention, promoting sustainable coexistence in shared spaces.
Additionally, Ruppert suggested comprehensive policy changes, including implementing land-use policies that prioritise habitat conservation while balancing human needs.
“Generally, it is important to encourage collaboration between government agencies, conservation organisations, academics, and local communities to ensure a coordinated and holistic approach to human-wildlife conflict management.
“This requires comprehensive research to better understand both primate and human behaviour, enabling the development and adaptation of effective conservation strategies,” she said.
On a broader scale, Ruppert suggested restoring degraded habitats and creating wildlife corridors, such as canopy bridges for arboreal animals, which can facilitate safe movement for primates and reduce human encounters.
“In my opinion, the most urgent action to ensure the survival of Malaysian primates, and many other wildlife species here, is protecting existing forests, restoring degraded habitats, and creating wildlife corridors to connect fragmented areas.
“Habitat protection is the foundation for all other conservation efforts, because without a suitable habitat, wildlife cannot thrive,” she said.
