KUALA LUMPUR – The Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) has rubbished claims it cold-heartedly killed 20 endangered dusky leaf monkeys in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan recently, clarifying that only seven aggressive ones were culled.
It added that no infants were shot during the operation on May 19, 2021 at a government quarters in Batu 2 there.
The department said it had received multiple complaints of monkey disturbances in the area since the start of the year, and that the culling of the langurs, also known as lutung, was “the best method to address the human-wildlife conflict” there.
In a statement following the public backlash, Perhilitan said some 160 wild langurs are known to roam around the coastal area of Batu 2 to Batu 11 at Port Dickson.
Of the eight reports it received this year of disturbances related to dusky leaf monkeys, it said three involved attacks on humans that resulted in serious injuries, one of which saw a woman bitten on the skull.
It also dismissed suggestions that the langurs there are tame and gentle, as had been claimed by several residents in the area.
“To ensure the location is safe from lutung attacks, Negeri Sembilan Perhilitan conducted an operation to drive away the monkeys there, as well as relocating them.
“However, the use of traps was not effective in capturing these aggressive langurs. As such, culling was the best method to address the conflict.
“An operation to identify the lutungs that have caused injuries and are dangerous to humans was then conducted. The culling on May 19 in Batu 2 only involved seven aggressive lutungs,” it said.
The matter was first highlighted by a resident of a government quarters in Batu Dua, Nurul Azreen Sultan, who posted on Facebook on the killing of the langurs, known for the white circular patches around their eyes, giving them a bespectacled look.
Residents in the area also rubbished claims that the langurs were attacking humans in an adjacent teachers’ quarters, insisting that the lutungs are not aggressive and are typically gentle creatures.
Perhilitan: Action taken within our power
Perhilitan said its action of culling the langurs was done within its jurisdiction and power as provided under Section 52(a) of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
The section states that an officer acting in good faith in the exercise of his powers under the Act may hunt any wildlife if it is a danger to human life or property.
Perhilitan said the handling of the dead langurs was also done according to standard operating procedures, and that the photos of a dead lutung on a tree was taken before the whole operation was completed.
Similarly, it said footage of two units of empty shotgun shells found at the location were taken before its personnel was able to collect them, as part of any operation’s routine.
“There was also no element of aggressiveness by the department’s staff towards those unhappy with our actions, as being circulated.
“The public is urged to be more careful if you chance upon the dusky leaf monkeys in this area, and it is hoped all quarters can work together with us in addressing human-wildlife conflicts.”
The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species classifies the dusky langur (trachypithecus obscurus) as endangered, with a decreasing population trend. – The Vibes, May 25, 2021
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