What would you do if you saw a monkey in the toilet?
Some might run away, but a nature enthusiast, who goes by the nickname Munch, decided to take a photo of a dusky langur that was hanging out in the male toilet in Singapore's Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
Here's a photo of the individual, which was uploaded to Facebook by Munch to their Facebook page, My Nature Relish:
Curious dusky langur left poo on the toilet floor & pressed soap dispenser
Speaking to the user who goes by the nickname, Munch, the Singaporean nature enthusiast told Mothership that the encounter happened on Friday (Nov. 6) around 4pm in the afternoon.
During the encounter, which lasted about 20 minutes, the curious langur took a dump on the floor while squatting on the wash basin, while four people were in the toilet.
The nature enthusiast told Mothership that the primate was able to move in and out of the toilet through open ledges or ventilation gaps in the toilet with ease.
The Singaporean also shared their intention of sharing the photo online to let people know that dusky langurs are not dangerous, especially when we respect them from a distance:
"We wanted to share this delightful photo of the dusky langur as we do want to let people know that they are not dangerous animals. They are curious and if we give them space, we can have a delightful time watching them just as they hopefully have a delightful time watching humans."
Munch also shared that this was their second time seeing a dusky langur in Singapore, and that were were actually two individuals in the area.
However, only one went into the toilet.
Here are two more photos from the encounter, in which Munch said the dusky langur was relaxed and even pressed the soap dispenser and the water tap:
Photo by Munch
Munch shared that the experience was a friendly one, where neither the humans nor the langur were afraid.
Photo by Munch
Here's a video of the langur by Munch:
After the encounter in the toilet, the monkey climbed out and met with another individual of the same species and the two dusky langurs were later observed foraging for food, such as leaves and fruits, according to a video posted to social media by Munch.
According to a study in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, the species is found in Malaysia, and the two individuals spotted in Singapore are said to have been sighted in Woodlands in 2019, and may have swam over to Singapore from Malaysia via the Johor Strait or crossed over land by using the Johor-Singapore Causeway.
What to do if you encounter a dusky langur
Andie Ang, who is a research scientist at Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund, and President of Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore), advises members of the public to keep a respectful distance of at least 5 metres from dusky langurs during such encounters.
She also shared that flash photography should be avoided as it may scare them, and to never feed them so that they will not become used to the presence of humans.
Ang said that dusky langurs are inquisitive and intelligent creatures, and she added that she has observed individuals of the same species in Malaysia staring at their own reflection in the mirror.
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Top images via Munch Lmc/Facebook