Even with its urbanised surroundings, Singapore boasts a wide range of wildlife. Now and then, certain animal sightings tend to catch our eye, especially ones of rare species.
This was the case recently when Mr Spencer Yau spotted a dusky langur in a toilet at the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
The monkey was peering at its reflection in the mirror while sitting on top of a sink.
Facebook users who stumbled upon the post expressed their amazement at the sight. However, Mr Yau pointed out that the animal’s actions could be an indication of its loneliness.
Mr Yau posted the rare sighting in the Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group on 31 Aug.
Source: Whatnow Spence on Facebook
A photo and some video clips showed the monkey on a sink, switching between staring at a mirror and observing its surroundings.
Whenever it gets distracted by the mirror, the primate would grab the mirror’s edges and inspect its own reflection closely.
Speaking to MS News, Mr Yau said two dusky langurs were swinging around in the trees behind the toilet. The encounter occurred when one of them climbed down to the then vacant toilet and sat at the edge of the sink.
It started licking its reflection, looking away briefly before repeating its actions about two to three times.
The monkey was also relaxed and didn’t seem frightened by Mr Yau’s presence. He mentioned that he filmed it for about five minutes before leaving for lunch.
The monkey’s behaviour certainly seems rather adorable. After all, some of us probably can’t resist checking out our own reflections too.
However, Mr Yau pointed out that the monkeys could be very lonely.
“They are the only two, maybe three dusky langurs in Singapore that we know of,” he said.
The monkey thus may have sought out the mirror in hopes of finding company. Without many friends nearby, its reflection could have been the next best thing.
Source: Whatnow Spence on Facebook
In his Facebook caption, Mr Yau suggested that the langur’s seeming ‘vanity’ “might be a sign of mental distress”. He likened the action to something “humans express under prolonged lack of social interaction.”
According to The Animal Facts, dusky langurs live in packs of five to 20 members. As such, this monkey could have well been in need of a friend when it chanced upon its reflection.
Mr Yau took this as a chance to remind netizens about the importance of companionship and mental welfare.
“Being fit isn’t just about physical health,” he said in the post. “Mental health is extremely crucial too, but doesn’t get enough support.”
Encountering some of Singapore’s wildlife is always a treat and a reminder of not only the wonders of nature but also the other creatures we’re sharing this island with.
Hopefully, there will constantly be efforts to protect pockets of nature so these animals can have somewhere to live safely and enjoy each other’s company.
As for the dusky langur, we hope it’ll find more friends soon, so it’ll be less lonely.
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Featured image adapted from Whatnow Spence on Facebook.
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