Dusky leaf monkeys at Batu Caves

Everyone who has visited Batu Caves in Malaysia knows about the long tailed macaques. These opportunist monkeys are always around, hoping to be fed by visitors. If not fed, they will probably snatch offerings from devotees, or snatch items from visitors in the hope it is edible.

A much nicer and less aggressive species of monkey lives on Batu Caves hill, but is not often seen. This is the dusky leaf monkey, also known as the spectacled langur, or spectacled leaf monkey. This primate is in the genus Trachypithecus .

These langurs are often called leaf monkeys as leaves form the bulk of their diet.

I don't often see it at Batu Caves. It is found in Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar, in a wide range of habitats. It is called lutut in Thailand.

This photo was taken in the Penang botanic gardens

The monkey is name 'spectacled' due to the bold white uninterrupted rings around the eyes. It also has a white patch over the mouth, which sometimes appears like a horizontal bar or moustache.

Also in Penang gardens

This photo is from Batu Caves in 2002

And in Nov 2011 I saw a small troop of monkeys above the shop at the entrance of Cathedral Cave

© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission

absence of macaques at Batu Caves

Normally there are lots of macaques at Batu Caves, and the area is well known for them. They are fed by visitors, and often make a nuisance of themselves, by grabbing temple offerings from people, and even snatching bags and cameras etc. They can be quite aggressive and intimidating in their search for food.

Mother and baby looking for food

So when I went to Batu Caves in June 2010 I was very surprised to see that the macaques had gone. There were none at all at the temple, and only a couple of young ones hanging around at the bottom by Cave Villa. I assumed they had been removed by the authorities and I mentioned this on my website.

My next visit was 7 Aug and the monkeys were back. However there seemed to be less than in the past, and many of them were young ones. So I wondered if this is a new generation that has arrived. Maybe the parents are those that weren't caught earlier.

Needless to say the macaques were still enjoying human food.
This one has kiwi fruit and a biscuit

and this one has opened the can to get at the jelly

© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission