Kuala lumpur: 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.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, 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. Dr. Yap explained that 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 mentioned that '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. This effort symbolises the initiative to elevate often-overlooked species as part of Penang's natural heritage. She added that behind each bridge constructed, there is at least a year of research on wildlife behaviour and movement conducted by their team along with volunteers, which recorded 12 to 13 groups of monkeys and langurs along the Batu Ferringhi to Teluk Bahang stretch.

Additionally, Yap noted that 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 bridges have shown a positive impact with thousands of wildlife crossings recorded via monitoring cameras. LPP data indicates that more than 8,500 crossings were 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.

Yap emphasized that while canopy bridges are not a complete solution, they serve as an important step in reducing risks and increasing public awareness on the importance of wildlife conservation. In implementing the project, LPP 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.