Matthew Fergusson-Stewart, his wife Elaine Seah, and daughter Islay were walking in the Thomson Nature Park area on Sep. 8, 2024, at about 12:15 pm when they noticed a troop of about eight to ten macaques along Old Upper Thomson Road. Among them, three macaques were closely observing something on the ground. Upon closer inspection, Fergusson-Stewart discovered a brown, wide-eyed colugo nearly camouflaged in the grass next to a signpost.
Background
This was the first time Fergusson-Stewart and his family had seen a colugo on the ground, which piqued their interest. Colugos are typically arboreal creatures, and seeing one on the ground is unusual. Islay mentioned that her first sighting of a colugo was in Langkawi when she was around five years old. The family observed the colugo while it was being watched by the macaques, raising concerns about its safety.
Colugo seemed distressed
Fergusson-Stewart noted that the colugo appeared distressed, surrounded by macaques. He explained, “Macaques are mostly fruit eaters, but will eat meat opportunistically, so we were concerned that the colugo could be in danger.” The family decided to keep an eye on the colugo to ensure it was safe from the macaques. They moved in close to create a buffer between the colugo and the macaques while calling the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) for advice.
Islay noticed that the colugo was attempting to climb a metal signpost but kept slipping down. Fergusson-Stewart speculated that this might have caused the colugo to end up on the ground in the first place. Although Acres was about “half an hour away” and could not immediately assist, they provided valuable advice over the phone on how to handle the situation.
Herded it to a tree
The family then herded the colugo to a nearby tree that it could climb. Fergusson-Stewart explained, “We didn’t want to pick it up as that might have injured it, so we gave it a free path to a tree and crouched closely on the other side.” The colugo, being a glider and not adept at moving on the ground, slowly made its way back towards the forest. It eventually climbed up the tree to a height of about 4 metres before the family left.
More about colugos
The Malayan, or Sunda colugo (Galeopterus variegatus), is a solitary, nocturnal, and arboreal creature, according to the National Parks Board (NParks). They are usually found clinging to tree trunks or suspended from horizontal branches and primarily feed on leaves and young shoots. Their large eyes provide excellent night vision. Colugos are generally mottled grey or greenish-grey, though some are reddish to yellowish-orange. Male colugos are predominantly reddish.
Helplines
If you see a wild animal in distress, you can contact:
- Acres Wildlife Rescue Hotline (24-hour) at 9783 7782
- NParks Animal Response Centre: 1800 476 1600
