How Animal Neighbours Project Mitigates Macaque-Human Conflict in Malaysia’s Urban Spaces

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How Animal Neighbours Project Mitigates Macaque-Human Conflict in Malaysia’s Urban Spaces

1 October 2025

By Khairyn Almira

Malaysia’s unresolved primate tourism problem has turned macaques into urban disruptors, fuelling mass culling and public frustration. Animal Neighbours Project confronts this issue through community engagement, innovative mitigation strategies, and initiatives grounded in behavioural science. Their ultimate goal is to forge a peaceful coexistence between wild animals and people.

In the heart of Malaysia’s cities, three forests still breathe. Bukit Gasing, Bukit Melawati, and Bukit Kiara stand as some of the last green pockets in Malaysia’s urban spaces, pressed in by highways and housing estates. A breathing space from the city, these tropical rainforests still draw weekend crowds looking for fresh air and winding trails.

But the forests are not only retreats for people. High in the canopy and along the paths move long-tailed, pig-tailed, and stump-tailed macaques. Living in degraded and fragmented forests limits habitat space and food source for these animals. They have developed a lack of fear of hikers and joggers to the point they approach humans for food. And we reached out with peanuts, bananas, or biscuits.

Though well-intentioned, the outcomes are disastrous. Feeding macaques conditions them to associate people with food. As the boundary between people and wildlife blurs, macaques learn to grow bolder; approaching, grabbing, and even attacking to procure their reward. They soon learn to venture into residential streets, and cause chaos. Windows are pried open, garbage bins overturned, garden fruit trees stripped bare. Each successful raid encourages another, and the cycle deepens.

Human-macaque conflicts have become familiar sights in urban environments due to Malaysia’s largely rainforest hillside topography. Strained for resources, local councils and government agencies lack the capacity to implement sustainable, long-term strategies that address the conflict while respecting wildlife populations. Instead, trapping, mass culling, and drive-by shooting become the default convenient responses to “problem” macaques. These interventions may bring momentary relief, but only deepen the divide between people and primates. This misguides people into thinking that all primates are inherently dangerous to humans and distracts people from the underlying human-feeding issue.

This is where Animal Neighbours Project (ANP) steps in to bridge the gap between man and mammal. ANP is a community-based project that uses research and education to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in urban areas.

“The misconception is that macaques are starving and need to be fed,” explains Ashwiini Paranjothi, ANP’s Vice President. “But they’re opportunist foragers, not pets. They thrive on leaves, fruits, and shoots as opposed to the high-sugar foods handed out by tourists. We’ve essentially turned neighbourhoods into a McDonald’s drive-thru for macaques.”

Biting The Hand That Feeds

A 2024 study conducted in Kuala Selangor, a high-traffic tourism site, revealed a shift in ecological behaviour of long-tailed macaques in areas of high human activity and frequent human-wildlife interaction. Even when visitors had already left, the macaques continued to exhibit unnatural behaviours such as being more inactive, socialising less, and eating human food despite nobody feeding them, thus proving the lasting imprint of human interaction on their biology.

“Many are surprised to learn macaques don’t actually need help to survive,” Ashwiini says. “People assume they’re malnourished because they look thin. But that’s just their natural biology: they’re opportunist foragers. Understanding that changes everything.”

Stop Waiting, Start Initiating

The issue is not new. Veterinarian Dr. Sharmini Julita Paramasivam, ANP Founder, was no stranger to human-wildlife conflict, having seen the problem up close in her years of studying primates. She knew urgency was necessary.

Rewiring Our Behaviour, Not Theirs

In 2014, ANP began as a small grassroots effort in urban Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that, and grew into a network of youth volunteers, researchers, NGOs, and government partners. Together, they set out to test practical, long-term, and humane solutions to wildlife conflicts too often treated as hopeless.

ANP’s philosophy is simple: when conflict arises, it is human behaviour and not the macaques’ that must change first.

Educational outreach became their frontline strategy. Booths at parks, interactive workshops, and awareness talks invited communities to rethink their assumptions. ANP volunteers taught people how to read macaque behaviour: that the infamous ‘monkey smile’ is not friendliness but a fear grimace, that eye contact can be read as intimidation, and that feeding is less kindness but rather harm.

Their talks also cover ecological truth. The long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), despite its abundance in Malaysian cities, was uplisted to Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2022. The IUCN estimates populations have declined by at least 40% over the last three generations due to habitat loss, culling, and exploitation for research and trade. Yet these primates are keystone species, dispersing seeds that regenerate forests and shaping the very ecosystems humans depend on.

Keeping the Lid On Conflict

ANP is not only about teaching but also tinkering, testing, and trying. Their best-known innovation is the monkey-proof bin latch, first introduced in Bukit Gasing. Residents there report the simple device has helped curb raids, keeping rubbish out of the macaques’ reach. Since then, ANP has promoted other low-cost, community-driven fixes: installing netting on windows, looping bungee cords around bin lids, and installing metal fencing to protect fruit trees.

For residents, these small interventions make a big difference. Marjan, a local community member in Bukit Gasing, recalls how ANP’s involvement gave the neighbourhood both practical tools and renewed confidence.

“ANP has helped our Residents Association create signboards for people to stop feeding the monkeys and find solutions to curb garbage bin raids,” she notes. “We share a WhatsApp group chat, and they give us advice and answer any questions we have. Their input has always been valuable and appreciated.”

These fixes alone, however, aren’t enough without collective effort.

“It only works if the whole community cooperates,” Ashwiini cautions. “Even one person feeding the monkeys can derail progress.”

Alongside these practical measures, ANP also invests in research to expand its toolkit, including animal behaviour, societal perception, ecosystem health, and non-invasive deterrents, ensuring that each tool, from bin latches to educational signboards, is grounded in science as well as practicality.

Volunteerism in Full Swing

At the heart of ANP’s work are its volunteers: students, interns, and young professionals who put theory into practice on the ground. Their stories reveal how conservation is not just about wildlife, but also about reshaping human perspective.

Jebamoanah, previously a research assistant at MareCet, first joined ANP after stumbling upon their data collection project on long-tailed macaques.

“As I was always fascinated by primates, I decided to give it a go,” he recalls.

For him, the most memorable moment was observing dusky leaf langurs and white-thighed surilis sitting on the same branch together, an encounter that underscored the hidden biodiversity within Malaysia’s urban fringes.

“My perspective towards long-tailed macaques has taken a drastic turn. Now I have more knowledge that I can share with my family and friends. Hopefully, this could bring a change to the world we all share.”

For Ranjanidevi, an ANP intern, the experience has been just as transformative. “Every day brings something new and exciting, from fieldwork to outreach programs,” she says. “The best part is definitely meeting people who are just as passionate about wildlife conservation as I am. The stories, the teamwork, and the small wins have inspired me to keep going.”

Aina Athirah, another dedicated volunteer, found her role at ANP equally transformative. During the Community Carnival & Water Festival in Putrajaya, she spent four days engaging the public on waste disposal, responsible tourism, and respectful behaviour around macaques.

“Small habits can make a big difference over time,” she reflects. “I’m proud to have been part of something that contributes positively to both people and wildlife. I look forward to more opportunities like this.”

A Kinder Future Starts Here

For ANP, coexistence is only possible when communities step forward together. Readers can play a role in many ways: by volunteering time either in-person or remotely, donating or sponsoring projects, purchasing ANP’s merchandise, or inviting the team to run school talks and community workshops. Even something as simple as sharing ANP’s work with friends and neighbours helps the message travel further.

“Every small action adds up,” says Ashwiini. “Whether you install a bin latch, join our wildlife walks, or simply share what you’ve learned, you’re part of the change.”

Her words echo in the everyday acts that slowly reshape conservation, whether through a latched bin that stays closed, a child who now knows not to feed monkeys, or a resident who pauses before tossing scraps.

(Edited by Bryan Yong)

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Animal Neighbours Project (ANP) is a community-based project that uses research and education to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in urban areas. Based in Malaysia and affiliated with the University of Surrey, ANP focuses on fostering peaceful coexistence between humans and urban wildlife through behavioural change, public awareness, and sustainable, non-invasive strategies. You can reach out to them via Instagram at @animalneighboursproject or through their website animalneighboursproject.org.

Khairyn Almira

Khairyn is a student with a deep passion for wildlife conservation. She finds purpose in advocacy, volunteerism, and community service projects. Her hope is to make a meaningful difference for both people and the environment.

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