Monkey Business

By Andie Ang

Master of Science (Biology) student


CHASING MONKEYS: Andie Ang Hui Fang, Master of Science (Biology) student at the NUS Department of Biological Sciences




ENDANGERED NATIVE MONKEY: The Banded Leaf Monkey Even as the dawn sun just begins to peek over the distant horizon and most Singaporeans are still deep in slumber, I am already trudging through the tangled expanse of forest we call the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, trying to catch a priceless glimpse of one of Singapore’s most endangered species - the elusive Banded Leaf Monkey. Formidably spiked rattan palms, boot-sucking muddy quagmire, strangling vines, face-masking spider webs and their irate inhabitants: none of these and anything else will stop me in my quest to document the monkeys’ lives and habits.

Chasing monkeys has always been a passion of mine. During my Honours year in NUS, I studied the evolution of hand preferences in seven species of non-human primates in both the Singapore Zoological Gardens and Khao Yai National Park in Thailand. Currently, the pursuit of a Master of Science in Biology at the Department of Biological Sciences (with funding from Ah Meng Memorial Conservation grant) has got me stalking the banded leaf monkeys day and night as I collect important data on their population ecology to aid in the conservation of this charismatic member of Singapore’s indigenous wildlife.

As these animals are so rare and shy, locating them in the dense forest is never an easy task. Upon finding them, the act of following them poses an even greater challenge: Spiderman stealth is required to make the important observations on their arboreal behaviour. Anything less and they will crash away emitting high-pitched cries of alarm. As the monkeys travel along their treetop highways, I leap from one log to the next in the swamps, dodging the swinging, liberally spiked palm branches in order to keep up with them. Yet another challenge in the field comes in the form of collecting their excrement in order to attempt DNA extraction for genetic studies. The rare sight of them in the act of defecation will send me dashing to procure a valuable faecal sample, for it is the only non-invasive way of obtaining important DNA data.

Besides enjoying research in my own world in the jungle as a primatologist, I get to meet like-minded researchers through the courses and overseas conferences I attend. Last December, I participated in a primate behavioural ecology course in Vietnam organised by the San Diego Zoological Society and Vietnam Forestry University. Imagine rowing a sampan in the pristine waters of the famous Van Long Nature Reserve, surrounded by rugged cliffs, a pair of binoculars hanging from around your neck and waiting patiently as nature unfolds before your eyes. It is definitely an experience light years out of the classroom.

Embarking on the path as a primatologist in urban Singapore is not an easy task; and I have never expected it to be. Battling society’s pragmatic view of wildlife research is a continuous fight I am determined to carry on, for primate research is a passion I have discovered for myself, and a dream I will never give up.

For more information on my monkey business, please visit http://evolution.science.nus.edu.sg/monkey.html