Critically endangered Raffles’ banded langur spotted at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve after 39 years
The last known individual in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve died in 1987.
A critically endangered species, the Raffles' banded langur, has been observed in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve after a 39-year absence. The adult male primate was captured on camera on May 31, according to a recent peer-reviewed journal article published in Nature In Singapore. This marks the first photographic evidence of the species' return to the Bukit Timah reserve in nearly four decades, likely due to the Eco-Link@BKE or Rifle Range Flyover.
Currently, there are only 70 to 80 Raffles' banded langurs in Singapore, residing primarily in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. The species, characterized by its black fur and white bands, was last seen in the Bukit Timah reserve in 1987. Citizen scientists Chris Devillers and Alvin Wong, along with primate expert Andie Ang, identified and photographed the langur.
The Raffles' Banded Langur Working Group, formed to conserve the species, noted the sighting as a significant observation. More field monitoring is required to determine if additional langurs reside in Bukit Timah, with hopes that the population will eventually establish a viable breeding population in the reserve.
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