LPP Builds Third Canopy Bridge In Penang For Safer Wildlife Crossing

GEORGE TOWN, April 8 (Bernama) -- Langur Project Penang (LPP) today built its third wildlife canopy bridge, known as ‘The Obscura’, in Batu Ferringhi here to reduce roadkill incidents and strengthen coexistence between humans and wildlife in urban areas.

LPP founder and head Dr Jo Leen Yap said the bridge is part of the “Bridge to Coexist” initiative aimed at addressing wildlife deaths caused by road accidents, particularly involving primates such as dusky langurs and long-tailed macaques that are increasingly encroaching into urban areas.

“The primary objective of the canopy bridge is to reduce road accidents involving wildlife, while also serving as an educational platform to raise public awareness on the importance of coexisting with animals within the same habitat.

“This project is also part of a community science initiative involving volunteers in collecting data on animal behaviour and human-wildlife interactions,” she told reporters after inspecting the installation of the bridge today.

She said the canopy bridge functions as a safe overhead passage for arboreal species to move between habitats, especially forested areas that have become fragmented due to development.

Yap said ‘The Obscura’, named after the dusky langur’s scientific name Trachypithecus obscurus, is a 15-metre structure built using recycled fire hoses as a nature-based solution at an estimated cost of RM32,000, symbolising efforts to elevate the often-overlooked species as part of Penang’s natural heritage.

“Behind every bridge constructed, there is at least a year of research on wildlife behaviour and movement conducted by our team together with volunteers, which recorded between 12 and 13 groups of monkeys and langurs along the Batu Ferringhi to Teluk Bahang stretch,” she said.

She said LPP had previously built two canopy bridges, namely Ah Lai’s Crossing in Teluk Bahang in 2019 and Numi’s Crossing in Tanjung Bungah in 2024, both of which have shown positive impact with thousands of wildlife crossings recorded via monitoring cameras.

According to her, LPP data showed more than 8,500 crossings recorded at the first bridge, while over 800 crossings have been logged at Numi’s Crossing to date, involving at least nine species including the black giant squirrel, Asian palm civet and snakes.

She said canopy bridges are not a complete solution but serve as an important step in reducing risks and increasing public awareness on the importance of wildlife conservation.

In implementing the project, LPP also collaborated with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), the Public Works Department and Tenaga Nasional Berhad to ensure all installations comply with safety standards and regulations.

-- BERNAMA