Research

Dr Jo Leen’s Research (PhD)

LPP was initiated during Dr. Jo Leen’s Master’s (MSc) and PhD research, which concluded in December 2022. The thesis, titled ‘Ecology, behaviour, and road ecology of Dusky Langurs (Trachypithecus obscurus) to develop a sustainable langur conservation plan in Penang, Malaysia’, involved habituating and consistently following langur study troops while gathering data on their behavior, diet, home range, and habitat quality. This data allowed for a comparison of the impact of the anthropogenic environment on the movement and behavior of Dusky Langurs in Penang, leading to the development of conservation initiatives aimed at mitigating the impact of human-altered landscape habitats.

Amelia’s Research (MSc)

In 2018, Amelia became a part of LPP to conduct research as a Master’s student from the University of Western Australia in collaboration with Universiti Sains Malaysia. Her thesis focuses on the shared infant care responsibilities among members of Dusky Langur troops. Over a period of seven months, Amelia followed and observed a habituated study troop, collecting behavioral data with a particular emphasis on interactions between infants and other members of the troop, as well as the overall activities of the troop. Amelia has now returned to Australia to complete her thesis.

Final Year Project (FYP)
for Undergraduate Students

LPP has established an affiliation with final year undergraduate students at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) to conduct their Final Year Project (FYP) research. Through this collaboration, students are able to learn the methodology of field sampling from LPP’s platform and assist Jo Leen in completing her PhD data collection, as well as contribute to the long-term monitoring of the langurs. So far, our FYP students have conducted short-term research on the activities and ecology of the langurs in Penang Botanical Gardens, Youth Park, Cherok Tokun, Batu Ferringi, and Teluk Bahang.