Pig-Tailed Macaque

16th July 2017,  Ampang,  Selangor

Local Name:  Berok

Scientific Name: Macaca nemestrina

Equipment: Nikon 1 V3 + Nikkor AFS-VR 400mm f/2.8 ED-VR

A Little Help From My Friend: Surili

26th  February 2011, Kemensah , Selangor

I wouldn’t have known that the Buffy Fish-Owl was there had it not been for this monkey. A group of White-thighed Surilis (Presbytis siamensis) were making giant leaps from tree to tree, it so happened that she landed on a branch where the owl was roosting. Surprised, the Owl flew on to another tree, that was when I saw her. Look Mom, no hands no hands!

Going For Berok: Pig-Tailed Macaque

11th July 2010, Kemensah, Selangor.

Record shots of yet another species of primate  from Kemensah, the Pig-tailed Macaque ( local name: Berok, pronounced as Broke). Kelantanese would usually address them with their proper title ‘Baso Nnate Beghok’ . In Terengganu  they are called ‘Basse  Nnatang Berrok’. Sigh! it’s tough being a monkey. People keep reminding you that you are a bad monkey. Have you heard  a story about ‘Berok Subsidi makan Tuan’ ( literal translation: ‘ subsidized monkey eats owner’.   Beroks were  at one time given by the government agency to the poor to help them make a living plucking coconuts). It was claimed that  Berok Subsidi had a very  bad reputation  due to their tendency to  attack and injure their  new owners, so when somebody refers to anything/ anyone as a Berok Subsidi, it shouldn’t be taken as a compliment. There’s also the phrase ‘Berok Mat Yeh’ which I’m doing a bit of research on to find out it’s origin and true meaning. My current understanding of this phrase is when somebody is  bad, rowdy or lacking in proper manners. Maybe someone can enlighten me further on this. They also reminded me of my school days when I was on the Kelantan State Softball team back in the mid 70’s. We had two American Peace Corps coaches, Mr Vincent Patrick Hall ( my Physics teacher at Sultan Ismail College, Kota Bharu, he’s from Kansas) and Mr John Brookes from another school. John had a  little mascot which he brought everywhere on the handle bar of his yellow racing bike, it was a little live ‘Berok’. And for us Kelantanese, renowned throughout Malaysia for speaking English in a rather unique way, I will leave it to your imagination as to how we would naturally pronounce his name. To this day I’m still wondering why ‘he had gone for  Berok’. This is just my little trip down memory lane and it is not meant to be insensitive to anybody, especially to all Mr Brookes out there ! If I ‘were’ a Berok, which obviously I am not, I would say “ Why pick on us for all the bad things, why can’t we be  associated with some of  the better qualities such as   Dark & Handsome, obedient & incorruptible , playful, strong, hard working, disciplined, passionate,  fashionable &  ever trendy ( just look at that haircut)  etc.. etc…etc…!  How about telling a friend that he/ she is hardworking like a monkey, or intelligent like a monkey!. Hmm….Maybe I’m asking TOO MUCH here. And maybe this answers my question as to why Mr Brookes made that decision to have a monkey as a mascot, he was trying to highlight these positive points. Or on the other hand  the coach could be indirectly saying that we played like a bunch of monkeys! To end this story, the softball team didn’t do well at national level, in fact we were not very good and we lost All our games. I’m wondering what happen to the Berok ,………………… probably banished to the thickest of   jungles in Kelantan!  Famous Quotes: If it's not  Berok ( Baroque), don't fix it

Long-Tailed Macaque

4th July 2010, Kemensah, Selangor.

Another monkey from Kemensah, a Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)

Long-Tailed Macaques

Kuala Selangor Nature Park

 

Long-Tailed Macaques  drying off while enjoying each other’s company. They are playing a game called ‘ I find your Kutu (flea), you find my Kutu’. I think we humans should try more of this, good for bonding!

The Story of the Dusky Leaf Monkeys and the Bear

21 June 2009, Kemensah, Selangor. There was a group of Dusky Leaf Monkeys/ Dusky Langurs (Trachypithecus obscurus) on their morning rollout. They came across a lone figure wandering in the jungle, and he was pointing an object at them. They paused for a moment as curiosity took the better of them.

1. And this question went through this monkey’s mind? “ Why is this overgrown monkey looking at me? He’s got something around the eyes like me, hair on the face like me. Hang on! No tail, oh no he’s not a monkey! He’s a bear: run for your lives!”

2. Then the big scramble began. One mother had a baby clinging to her abdomen and in trying to get to safety she actually jumped more than 30 ft onto another tree, with the baby hanging on. 3. Leaping to safety 4. All the monkeys got away from the bear safely and they will live happily ever after. And the bear continued on with his camera.