This fluffy, adorable leaf-eater is a dusky langur (Trachypithecus obscurus)! These primates live in Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar and parts of Thailand. The white circles around the eyes and mouth bring attention to their faces, and give them their alternative common name of speckled leaf monkey. I stumbled across the male pictured above while he was munching on leaves at the base of Penang Hill, a major tourist attraction on Penang Island in Malaysia. Although traditionally this species was only found in heavily forested areas, they have more recently been found in urban areas as well. Research and conservation efforts for these urban adapting dusky langurs is led by Dr. Nadine Ruppert at the Langur Project in Penang.

[Photo and caption provided by Josie Hubbard]

Leen, Y., Ruppert, N., & Rosely, N. F. N. (2019). Activities, habitat use and died of wild dusky langurs (Trachypithecus obscurus) in different habitat types in Penang. Journal of Sustainability Science and Management, 14(4), 71-85.

[Edited by Karli Chudeau]