Malaysia — Dusky Leaf Monkeys (Trachypithecus obscurus) — Kampong Johor Lama, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia

A rare sighting

May 2015

Dusky Leaf Monkeys (Trachypithecus obscurus), as their name implies, are difficult to find as they are timid. In two years of travelling around Malaysia, I had only seen them twice, and only in groups of 4.

So, I was very surprised when I drove down the road near Kampong Johor Lama, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia, to spot a big group of Dusky Leaf Monkeys in the trees and walking along the power cables.

Even with so many monkeys around, it was still tough to photograph them, as they moved very fast and were very shy.

And as soon as I got out of the car, they scattered into the trees.

However, it was great to see them, and I spent some 10-15 minutes on the side of the road quietly watching them.

So, that was my third encounter with Dusky Leaf Monkeys (Trachypithecus obscurus). This was the largest group I had seen to date, and even though they were living in proximity to the people in Kampong Johor Lama, they were still very, very shy and quick moving through the trees.