The National Parks Board (NParks) announced that the critically-endangered Raffles' banded langur has been sighted on the Eco-Link@BKE for the first time ever.

In a biodiversity record published on Apr. 24, it was revealed that the first sighting of the rare monkey on the bridge occurred on October 2023.

An arboreal camera trap installed around 10m above the ground captured the black langur on Oct. 16, 2023 sitting on a branch.

Three days later on Oct. 19, 2023, a langur was photographed at the same location.

It is uncertain if both langurs are the same individual.

Why is this important?

Raffles' banded langurs are known to only reside in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR), and the last individual in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR) died in 1987.

Thus, NParks described it as an "encouraging sign" that the langur was spotted using the Eco-Link@BKE, which acts as a connection for wildlife to cross safely between the CCNR and BTNR.

As of 2021, around 100 species of fauna have been recorded on Eco-Link@BKE.

The sightings of the langur on the bridge could indicate that the species is expanding its range and habitat, which could ensure a higher chance of survival.

"It also highlights the significance of implementing wildlife crossing aids to enhance ecological connectivity for our native wildlife to thrive," NParks stated.

"This is very exciting news!" Minister for National Development Desmond Lee gushed in an Apr. 25 Facebook post.

Lee noted that camera traps help record and track wildlife species that use the bridge, and the data provides agencies with "valuable insights on the effectiveness of our measures to strengthen ecological connectivity".

Protecting a species

The Raffles' banded langur is endemic to Singapore and southern Peninsular Malaysia.

The population used to number around 10 individuals in the 1980s, but has since grown to 68 as of 2021.

To protect this species, NParks has implemented a range of habitat enhancement measures, such as planting food plant species at Thomson Nature Park, and constructing rope bridges along Old Upper Thomson Road.

The bridges allow the langurs to safely cross between the nature park and the CCNR.

NParks has also been working closely with the Raffles’ Banded Langur Working Group to implement these measures.

Top photo from NParks