Drenched, injured monkey’s highway rescue in Malaysia goes viral

A black, furry, rain-soaked monkey has captured hearts across Malaysia after a video of its rescue on a busy highway in Johor went viral on TikTok.

The dusky leaf monkey – also known as dusky or spectacled langur – was found stranded in heavy rain by Malaysian veterinarian Marlia Zulkapli, who stopped on the road to rescue the animal and bring it back to her clinic.

In a TikTok on May 16, Dr Marlia posted a video of the rescued monkey quietly sitting on the footwell of the passenger seat and then on her lap, and said in a video caption that the animal had been “hit at the Kulai highway”.

She joked that she had “suddenly become a handler”, adding that rescuing animals on the roads was “not in (her) job description” as a vet.

In an interview with Malaysian news outlet Harian Metro, Dr Marlia said she initially noticed what appeared to be “a black object” on the highway and realised it was a living animal only when it moved.

After seeing lorries and cars swerve around it, she decided a rescue was necessary despite the risks involved, as the “situation was urgent”.

When she approached the animal, she found the monkey sitting motionless on the road. There was blood on the tarmac, as well as on its face, ears and legs, she said, adding that one of its legs was drooping.

Dr Marlia then brought the animal back to her clinic in Pekan Nanas, another town in Johor, to treat its extensive injuries.

The monkey, which appeared calm throughout the car ride, quickly won over netizens, who cooed in the comments over its cuteness and docile demeanour – the TikTok of its rescue has since garnered more than 1.2 million views and thousands of likes.

Subsequent videos posted on Dr Marlia’s TikTok account showed the monkey – affectionately nicknamed Kula – settling comfortably into life at the clinic.

In the clips, the monkey is seen happily munching on fruits and even “working” as a companion in the clinic – providing emotional support to other animals and letting a cat playfully tug on its tail.

Dr Marlia has also transformed the monkey’s enclosure into a forest-like habitat, decorating it with leaves and a soft toy.

She later shared that Kula’s health condition has improved after treatment, although its leg injury remains serious and would require a longer recovery period.

Dr Marlia told Harian Metro she aims to make sure Kula is fully healed before seeking the views of wildlife experts, and may eventually send it to a suitable wildlife protection centre.

The dusky leaf monkey, known for its distinct circular rings of fur around its dark eyes, is officially listed as endangered.

Found mainly in Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand, a 2020 report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species said that its population has more than halved since 1985 as a result of hunting, habitat loss, fragmentation, habitat conversion to agriculture, and pet trade.

Malaysia has sought to protect the species by building artificial canopy bridges to help the monkeys navigate their environment often crisscrossed by busy roads.