Monkey business

Malaysia has plenty of endangered animals that would love a job as a mascot. But even in the tourism industry, looks matter.

BEING a mascot is hard work: You’ve got to be a good luck charm, cheerleader, goodwill ambassador, look great in a costume and sell a lot of merchandise.

All creatures great and small are for the most part perfect for the job – although there have been some strange pairings in the name of marketing. Reptiles, amphibians and creepy crawlies have been called on to peddle products from beer to insurance.

So turning to the proboscis monkey to entice the world to Visit Malaysia in 2014 is a hip choice.

That said, the long-nosed primate has its work cut out. It replaces the much-loved orang utan as the face of the Tourism Ministry’s efforts.

But why this monkey and not something with a bigger plush toy possibility, like the Lar gibbon or Hose’s langur or Dusky leaf monkey?

The fact is there are only 6,000 proboscis monkeys left in the jungles of Borneo, according to wildlife conservationists.

And there are several weird, wonderful things about the primate that make it an interesting choice for a mascot – its unusually large nose, its webbed feet, the fact that males challenge each other for mates and leadership by comparing penis sizes.

Sadly, some of Malaysia’s other endangered beasts just aren’t as cute or cuddly as a monkey with a very big nose.

Find out which other creatures lost the Visit Malaysia 2014 mascot job by a proboscis in our exclusive Lifestyle report at The Star Online.

Mischievous:

a proboscis monkey flaps his nose at a visitor at the Singapore Zoo. — Filepic