Mystery monkey at risk from deforestation
A MYSTERY hybrid monkey found in Malaysian Borneo is under threat from deforestation, scientists have warned.
Researchers said the breed was probably the offspring of a proboscis monkey and a silvery langur, which are distantly related and compete for space in a narrow strip of jungle territory.
Hybrids are usually sterile, but a photo on Facebook in 2020 showed the monkey with swollen breasts associated with lactation, suggesting it had young.
Scientists celebrated the new breed, but the discovery highlighted the impact of deforestation.
Nadine Ruppert, a primatologist at the Universiti Sains Malaysia and a study co-author, told Live Science: “It’s tragic that both species now cramp together in the remaining narrow riparian forest patches surrounded by oil palm plantations, where they compete for food and mating opportunities.”
The study was published in the International Journal of Primatology.