That awkward moment when you walk into a public bathroom to find a cartoonish monkey clinging to the mirror getting a little weird with his own reflection ...


 

Spencer Yau recently shared a photo and videos of this unexpected sighting on the Singapore Wildlife Sightings’ Facebook page. The footage shows a dusky leaf monkey interacting with its own reflection in a restroom mirror in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, a vast area of protected forest that makes up Singapore’s largest nature reserve. A second male was seen "loafing about nearby" according to Yau.

The dusky leaf monkey, or spectacled langur, is an endangered species of primate found mainly across Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. Occasional sightings, such as Yau’s, have been reported in Singapore reserves but the monkeys are not native to the country. Researchers are aware of three langur monkeys that found their way to Singapore in 2019, most likely by swimming across from Malaysia.

Yau described his initial amusement towards the seemingly vain primate, but soon realised the sad reality that this dusky leaf monkey may have mistaken its reflection for a lady langur. A Facebook user, sharing a similar sentiment, commented on Yau’s post: "Need to find them girlfriends for companionship."

The spectacled langur is easily identifiable by the white 'saucers' around its eyes, making its peepers appear comically large. Their adorably animated appearance, however, can lead to harmful encounters with humans who are tempted to get close to the animals. Park officials warn visitors to keep their distance and not to feed wild animals in the reserve. Yau’s encounter with the langur appeared to be respectful, leaving the peeping primate untroubled by his presence.

Header: Balazs Simon