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Background: Colobines are primarily leaf-eating primates, depend on microbiota of gastrointestinal tracts for food digestion. However, the gut microbiota of Malaysia's colobines specifically langurs remains unstudied., Aims: Hence, we aim to analyze the fecal microbiomes of Malaysia's langurs using Presbytis femoralis, Presbytis robinsoni, Trachypithecus obscurus, and Trachypithecus cristatus from various landscapes as models., Material and Methods: We collected samples from all four species across several areas in Peninsular Malaysia and performed 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing using the Illumina sequencing platform., Results: Presbytis femoralis exhibited the highest bacterial diversity, followed by T. obscurus, T. cristatus, P. robinsoni and the lowest, P. siamensis. Over 11 million operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified across Malaysia's langurs spanning 26 phyla, 180 families, and 329 genera of microbes. The OTUs were dominated by Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. There are 11 genera of pathogenic bacteria were identified across all host species. Nine pathogenic bacterial genera inhabit both T. obscurus, indicating poor health due to low bacterial diversity and heightened pathogenicity. In contrast, P. robinsoni with the fewest pathogenic species is deemed the healthiest among Malaysia's langurs., Discussion: This study demonstrates that alterations in diet, behavior, and habitat affect bacterial diversity in Malaysia's langurs' gut microbiota. Even though this is the first comprehensive analysis of langur microbiomes in Malaysia, it is important to note the limitations regarding the number of samples, populations sampled, and the geographical origins and landscapes of these populations. Our results suggest that Malaysia's langurs may harbor pathogenic bacteria, potentially posing a risk of transmission to humans., Conclusion: This highlights the critical need for the conservation and management of Malaysia's langurs, particularly considering their interactions with humans. This data can serve as a foundation for authorities to inform the public about the origins and significance of animal health and the management of zoonotic diseases., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The gut microbiota plays an important role in primates, which may be associated with their habitat. In Malaysia, pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) live in different habitat environments and have traditionally been used for coconut plucking for more than a century. There is currently no information regarding the gut microbiota of this macaque in Malaysia. To address this oversight, this study employed a fecal metabarcoding approach to determine the gut microbiota composition of pig-tailed macaques and establish how these microbial communities correspond with the macaque external environments of residential area, forest edge, and fragmented forest., Methods: To determine this connection, 300 paired-end sequences of 16S rRNA were amplified and sequenced using the MiSeq platform., Results: In the pig-tailed macaque fecal samples, we identified 17 phyla, 40 orders, 52 families, 101 genera, and 139 species of bacteria. The most prevalent bacterial families in the gut of pig-tailed macaques were Firmicutes (6.31%) and Proteobacteria (0.69%). Our analysis did not identify a significant difference between the type of environmental habitat and the gut microbiota composition of these macaques., Conclusions: There was great variation in the population richness and bacterial community structure. The abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria helps this macaque digest food more easily while maintaining a healthy gut microbiota diversity. Exploring the gut microbiota provides an initial effort to support pig-tailed macaque conservation in the future., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Importance: Recent developments in genetic analytical techniques have enabled the comprehensive analysis of gastrointestinal symbiotic bacteria as a screening tool for animal health conditions, especially the endangered gibbons at the National Wildlife Rescue Centre (NWRC)., Objective: High-throughput sequencing based on 16S ribosomal RNA genes was used to determine the baseline gut bacterial composition and identify potential pathogenic bacteria among three endangered gibbons housed in the NWRC., Methods: Feces were collected from 14 individuals ( Hylobates lar , n = 9; Hylobates agilis , n = 4; and Symphalangus syndactylus , n = 1) from March to November 2022. Amplicon sequencing were conducted by targeting V3-V4 region., Results: The fecal microbial community of the study gibbons was dominated by Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes (phylum level), Prevotellaceae and Lachnospiraceae/Muribaculaceae (family level), and Prevotella (and its subgroups) (genera level). This trend suggests that the microbial community composition of the study gibbons differed insignificantly from previously reported conspecific or closely related gibbon species., Conclusions and Relevance: This study showed no serious health problems that require immediate attention. However, relatively low alpha diversity and few potential bacteria related to gastrointestinal diseases and streptococcal infections were detected. Information on microbial composition is essential as a guideline to sustain a healthy gut condition of captive gibbons in NWRC, especially before releasing this primate back into the wild or semi-wild environment. Further enhanced husbandry environments in the NWRC are expected through continuous health monitoring and increase diversity of the gut microbiota through diet diversification., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Korean Society of Veterinary Science.)

The Bornean banded langur ( Presbytischrysomelaschrysomelas ) is critically endangered species primarily found in Sarawak, Malaysia. Albeit this species is in peril, the ecology knowledge of this endemic species of Borneo is still scarce. Thus, a rapid survey employing total count and scan sampling method was conducted between July to August 2023 at Tanjung Datu National Park (TDNP), Sarawak to observe the social interaction of species with the environment. The behaviour of langur was recorded by employing scanning sampling method at 10 minutes intervals. This study sought to provide preliminary data on behavioural ecology of the Bornean banded langur within the national park. During the survey, three groups (consisting two to seven individuals) and a solitary male Bornean banded langur were recorded. The langurs were observed in both dipterocarp forests and coastal forests within the park. The daily activities of the Bornean banded langurs in TDNP were predominantly resting (31%), moving (29%), feeding (26%), vocalizing (14%), but not engaging in other social activities such as grooming, playing and mating. Knowing the behavioural ecological status as well as understanding ecology by identifying the activity pattern of langur is essential to government authorities and pertinent stakeholders to implement conservation strategies for the Bornean banded langur and their habitats., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest to declare Disclaimer: This article is (co-)authored by any of the Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editors or their deputies in this journal., (Tukiman Nur-Aizatul, Abd Rahman Mohd-Ridwan, Mohammad Noor-Faezah, Roberta Chaya Tawie Tingga, Mohamad Fhaizal Bukhori, Jayasilan Mohd-Azlan, Azroie Denel, Muhammad Abu Bakar Abdul-Latiff, Badrul Munir Md-Zain.)

Background: Enrichment activities may influence the microbiomes of captive tigers', affecting their health, digestion, and behavior. Currently, there are few studies that address the impact of enrichment activity on tigers' health. This study aimed to determine the diversity of the gut microbiome in captive Malayan tigers at Zoo Melaka and Night Safari during the environmental enrichment phase using a metabarcoding approach., Methods and Results: This study utilized different enrichment activities which catered for food, sensory, and cognitive enrichment. Eleven fresh fecal samples from captive Malayan tigers at Zoo Melaka and Night Safari were collected under different conditions. All samples were extracted and 16S rRNA V3-V4 region amplicon sequencing was used to characterize the gut microbiome of captive Malayan tigers subjected to various enrichment activities. Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, and Fusobacteriota were the dominant phyla observed in the gut microbiome of captive Malayan tigers during enrichment activities. This study revealed β-diversity significantly varied between normal and enrichment phase, however no significant differences were observed in α-diversity. This study demonstrates that environmental enrichment improves the gut microbiome of Malayan tigers because gut microbes such as Lachnoclostridium, which has anti-inflammatory effects and helps maintain homeostasis, and Romboutsia, which has a probiotic effect on the gut microbiome., Conclusions: This study provides valuable insights into the effects of enrichment activities on the gut microbiome of captive Malayan tigers, offering guidance for enhancing captive management practices aimed at promoting the health and well-being of Malayan tiger in captivity., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Primate communities in the Genting Highlands consist of a single species of Hylobatidae and four species of Cercopithecidae, which are known to exhibit social interaction behaviour. Thus, a study on the diets of Symphalangussyndactylus (siamang; family Hylobatidae) and Macacanemestrina (pig-tailed macaque; family Cercopithecidae) was carried out at Genting Highlands, in order to compare the dietary preferences and interspecific competition between the two primate families. A DNA metabarcoding approach was used to analyse diet intake using non-invasive samples based on the trnL region. Based on the 140 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) generated, 26 plant orders, 46 different families, 60 genera and 49 species were identified from 23 different plant classes. Fabaceae and Moraceae were classified as the most preferred plants at the family level for S.syndactylus ; meanwhile, Piperaceae and Arecaceae were classified as the most preferred for M.nemestrina . Only six out of the 60 different plant genera classified in this study, were found to be consumed by both species. Therefore, the low similarity of preferred plants in the diets between the two families suggests that there is little interspecific competition. These findings are important for future conservation management of highland primates, especially in the Genting Highlands., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest to declare Disclaimer: This article is (co-)authored by any of the Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editors or their deputies in this journal., (Roberta Chaya Tawie Tingga, Millawati Gani, Nur Azimah Osman, Nor Rahman Aifat, Eddie Chan, Shamsul Khamis, Emelda Rosseleena Rohani, Norlinda Mohd-Daut, Abd Rahman Mohd-Ridwan, Badrul Munir Md-Zain.)

Siamangs ( Symphalangussyndactylus ) are native to Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and southern Thailand and their taxonomical classification at subspecies level remains unclear. Morphologically, two subspecies were proposed as early as 1908 by Thomas namely Symphalangus s.syndactylus and Symphalanguss.continentis. Thus, this study aims to clarify the Siamang subspecies status, based on mtDNA D -loop sequences. Faecal samples were collected from wild Siamang populations at different localities in Peninsular Malaysia. A 600-bp sequence of the mitochondrial D -loop region was amplified from faecal DNA extracts and analysed along with GenBank sequences representing Symphalangus sp., Nomascus sp., Hylobates sp., Hoolock sp. and outgroups ( Pongopygmaeus , Macacafascicularis and Papiopapio ). The molecular phylogenetic analysis in this study revealed two distinct clades formed by S.s.syndactylus and S.s.continentis which supports the previous morphological delineation of the existence of two subspecies. Biogeographical analysis indicated that the Sumatran population lineage was split from the Peninsular Malaysian population lineage and a diversification occurrred in the Pliocene era (~ 3.12 MYA) through southward expansion. This postulation was supported by the molecular clock, which illustrated that the Peninsular Malaysian population (~ 1.92 MYA) diverged earlier than the Sumatran population (~ 1.85 MYA). This is the first study to use a molecular approach to validate the subspecies statuses of S.s.syndactylus and S.s.continentis . This finding will be useful for conservation management, for example, during Siamang translocation and investigations into illegal pet trade and forensics involving Malayan and Sumatran Siamangs., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest to declare Disclaimer: This article is (co-)authored by any of the Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editors or their deputies in this journal., (Nur Hartini Sariyati, Muhammad Abu Bakar Abdul-Latiff, Nor Rahman Aifat, Abd Rahman Mohd-Ridwan, Nur Azimah Osman, Kayal Vizi Karuppannan, Eddie Chan, Badrul Munir Md-Zain.)

The gut microbiome refers to the microorganism community living within the digestive tract. The environment plays a crucial role in shaping the gut microbiome composition of animals. The gut microbiome influences the health and behavior of animals, including the critically endangered Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni). However, the gut microbiome composition of Malayan tigers, especially those living in their natural habitats, remains poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we used next-generation sequencing DNA metabarcoding techniques to analyze the gut microbiome of wild Malayan tigers using fecal samples collected from their natural habitats and in captivity. Our aim was to determine the gut microbiota composition of the Malayan tiger, considering the different types of habitat environments. The results revealed a diverse microbial community within the gut microbiome of Malayan tigers. The prominent phyla that were observed included Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Fusobacteriota and Bacteroidota. Beta diversity analysis revealed significant differences in gut microbiome composition of Malayan tigers that inhabited oil palm plantations, in villages and protected areas. Diversity analysis also revealed significant difference in the gut microbiome between wild and captive Malayan tigers. However, the distinctions of gut microbiome between wild and captive alpha diversity did not yield significant differences. The differences in microbiome diversity resulted from the interplay of dietary intake and environmental factors. This information will facilitate the establishment of focused conservation approaches and enhance our understanding of the effect of microbiome composition on Malayan tiger health., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The Malayan tiger ( Pantheratigrisjacksoni ) is a critically endangered species native to the Malaysian Peninsula. To imitate wild conditions where tigers do not hunt every day, numerous wildlife sanctuaries do not feed their tigers daily. However, the effects of fasting on the gut microbiota of captive Malayan tigers remains unknown. This study aimed to characterise the gut microbiota of captive Malayan tigers by comparing their microbial communities during fasting versus normal feeding conditions. This study was conducted at the Melaka Zoo, Malaysian Peninsula and involved Malayan tigers fasted every Monday. In total, ten faecal samples of Malayan tiger, two of Bengal tiger (outgroup) and four of lion (outgroup) were collected and analysed for metabarcoding targeting the 16S rRNA V3-V4 region. In total, we determined 14 phyla, 87 families, 167 genera and 53 species of gut microbiome across Malayan tiger samples. The potentially harmful bacterial genera found in this study included Fusobacterium , Bacteroides , Clostridium sensu stricto 1, Solobacterium , Echerichiashigella , Ignatzschineria and Negativibacillus . The microbiome in the fasting phase had a higher composition and was more diverse than in the feeding phase. The present findings indicate a balanced ratio in the dominant phyla, reflecting a resetting of the imbalanced gut microbiota due to fasting. These findings can help authorities in how to best maintain and improve the husbandry and health of Malayan tigers in captivity and be used for monitoring in ex-situ veterinary care unit., Competing Interests: We declare no conflict of interest. No editor is co-authored in this manuscript. I want to declare a conflict of interest Disclaimer: This article is (co-)authored by any of the Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editors or their deputies in this journal., (Mohamad Khairulmunir, Millawati Gani, Kayal Vizi Karuppannan, Abd Rahman Mohd-Ridwan, Badrul Munir Md-Zain.)

The world's largest terrestrial mammal, Asian elephants, are known to have enormous feeding needs. Several factors such as season, sex, age, and daily activities influence the amount of food required by an individual. Generally, captive elephants have a limited choice of food on a daily basis compared with that of elephants in the wild. Elephants in captivity are fed according to a prepared feeding schedule, whereas wild elephants are free to choose the type of plants that they consume in their natural habitat. In the past, ecological observations have been widely used to determine the diet of wild elephants. However, the molecular approach has never been carried out. In the present study, we aimed to; 1) identify the plant diet of wild Asian elephants in Taman Negara National Park (TNNP) according to their sex and age using high-throughput DNA metabarcoding; and 2) determine the dietary formulation of captive elephants based on the generated plant metabarcoding database. DNA was extracted from 24 individual fecal samples collected using noninvasive sampling techniques from TNNP and the National Elephant Conservation Centre (NECC) Kuala Gandah. Seven pooled samples from male adult, female adult, male subadult, female subadult, male juvenile, female juvenile, and captive elephants were amplified and sequenced targeting the trnL region (50-150 base pairs). The CLC Genomic Workbench and PAST 4.02 software were used for data analysis. In total, 24 orders, 41 families, 233 genera, and 306 species of plants were successfully detected in the diet of the Asian elephants. The most abundant plant genera consumed were Sporobolus (21.88%), Musa (21.48%), and Ficus (10.80%). Plant variation was lower in samples from male elephants than in those from female elephants. The plant species identified were correlated with the nutrient benefits required by elephants. Adults and subadults consumed more plant species than were consumed by juvenile elephants. However, there was no significant difference between ages and sexes. The findings of this study can be used as guidance by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks for the management of captive elephants, especially in NECC Kuala Gandah.

Human-elephant conflict (HEC) contributes to the increasing death of Asian elephants due to road accidents, retaliatory killings and fatal infections from being trapped in snares. Understanding the diet of elephants throughout Peninsular Malaysia remains crucial to improve their habitat quality and reduce scenarios of HEC. DNA metabarcoding allows investigating the diet of animals without direct observation, especially in risky conflict areas. The aim of this study was to determine: i) the diet of wild Asian elephants from HEC areas in Peninsular Malaysia using DNA metabarcoding and ii) the influence of distinct environmental parameters at HEC locations on their feeding patterns. DNA was extracted from 39 faecal samples and pooled into 12 groups representing the different sample locations: Kuala Koh, Kenyir, Ulu Muda, Sira Batu, Kupang-Grik, Bumbun Tahan, Belum-Temengor, Grik, Kampung Pagi, Kampung Kuala Balah, Aring 10 and the National Elephant Conservation Centre, which served as a positive control for this study. DNA amplification and sequencing targeted the ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase gene using the next-generation sequencing Illumina iSeq100 platform. Overall, we identified 35 orders, 88 families, 196 genera and 237 species of plants in the diet of the Asian elephants at HEC hotspots. Ficus (Moraceae), Curcuma (Zingiberaceae), Phoenix (Arecaceae), Maackia (Fabaceae), Garcinia (Clusiaceae) and Dichapetalum (Dichapetalaceae) were the highly abundant dietary plants. The plants successfully identified in this study could be used by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) to create buffer zones by planting the recommended dietary plants around HEC locations and trails of elephants within Central Forest Spine (CFS) landscape., (Nor Hafisa Syafina Mohd-Radzi, Kayal Vizi Karuppannan, Nurfatiha Akmal Fawwazah Abdullah-Fauzi, Abd Rahman Mohd-Ridwan, Nursyuhada Othman, Abdul-Latiff Muhammad Abu Bakar, Millawati Gani, Mohd Firdaus Ariff Abdul-Razak, Badrul Munir Md-Zain.)

The long-tailed macaque ( Macacafascicularis ) has a wide range in both Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. Although the primates are especially vulnerable to habitat alterations, this primate lives in disturbed habitats due to human-induced land-use. Thus, this study presents a faecal metabarcoding approach to clarify the plant diet of long-tailed macaques from five locations in Peninsular Malaysia to represent fragmented forest, forest edge, island and recreational park habitats. We extracted genomic DNA from 53 long-tailed macaque faecal samples. We found 47 orders, 126 families, 609 genera and 818 species across these five localities. A total of 113 plant families were consumed by long-tailed macaques in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 61 in the Malaysia Genome and Vaccine Institute, 33 in Langkawi Island, 53 in Redang Island and 44 in the Cenderawasih Cave. Moraceae (33.24%) and Fabaceae (13.63%) were the most common families consumed by long-tailed macaques from the study localities. We found that habitat type impacted diet composition, indicating the flexibility of foraging activities. This research findings provide an understanding of plant dietary diversity and the adaptability of this macaque with the current alteration level that applies to long-tailed macaque conservation management interest in the future., (Nur Azimah Osman, Muhammad Abu Bakar Abdul-Latiff, Abd Rahman Mohd-Ridwan, Salmah Yaakop, Kayal Vizi Karuppannan, Badrul Munir Md-Zain.)

Flying fox ( Pteropushypomelanus ) belongs to the frugivorous bats, which play a crucial role in maintaining proper functioning of an ecosystem and conservation of the environment. Bats are well-known carriers of pathogenic viruses, such as BatCov RaTG13 from the coronavirus family that share 90.55% with SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen causing recent global pandemic coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). However, bats' possible role as a carrier of pathogenic bacteria is less explored. Here, using metabarcoding analysis through high-throughput sequencing, we explored the gut microbiome composition of different island populations on the east and west coasts of Peninsula Malaysia. The 16S rRNA gene in samples from Redang Island, Langkawi Island, Pangkor Island and Tinggi Island was amplified. Bacterial community composition and structure were analysed with α and β diversity metrics. A total of 25,658 operational taxonomic units at 97% similarity were assigned to eight phyla, 44 families, 61 genera and 94 species of microbes. The Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum in all populations. Meanwhile, the genera Enterobacter , Pseudomonas and Klebsiella , isolated in this study, were previously found in the rectum of other fruit bats. Our analyses suggest that Redang Island and Langkawi Island have high bacteria diversity. Thus, we found geographic locality is a strong predictor of microbial community composition and observed a positive correlation between ecological features and bacterial richness., (Nur Syafika Mohd-Yusof, Muhammad Abu Bakar Abdul-Latiff, Abd Rahman Mohd-Ridwan, Aqilah Sakinah Badrulisham, Nursyuhada Othman, Salmah Yaakop, Shukor Md-Nor, Badrul Munir Md-Zain.)

Understanding dietary diversity is a fundamental task in the study of stump-tailed macaque, Macaca arctoides in its natural habitat. However, direct feeding observation and morphological identification using fecal samples are not effective and nearly impossible to obtain in natural habitats because this species is sensitive to human presence. As ecological methods are challenging and time-consuming, DNA metabarcoding offers a more powerful assessment of the diet. We used a chloroplast tRNL DNA metabarcoding approach to identify the diversity of plants consumed by free-ranging M. arctoides in the Malaysia-Thailand border region located in Perlis State Park, Peninsular Malaysia. DNA was extracted from three fecal samples, and chloroplast tRNL DNA was amplified and sequenced using the Illumina MiniSeq platform. Sequences were analyzed using the CLC Genomic Workbench software. A total of 145 plant species from 46 families were successfully identified as being consumed by M. arctoides . The most abundant species were yellow saraca, Saraca thaipingensis (11.70%), common fig, Ficus carica (9.33%), aramata, Clathrotropis brachypetala (5.90%), sea fig, Ficus superba (5.44%), and envireira, Malmea dielsiana (1.70%). However, Clathrotropis and Malmea are not considered Malaysian trees because of limited data available from Malaysian plant DNA. Our study is the first to identify plant taxa up to the species level consumed by stump-tailed macaques based on a DNA metabarcoding approach. This result provides an important understanding on diet of wild M. arctoides that only reside in Perlis State Park, Malaysia.

Morphism refer to polymorphic species, in which multiple colour variants coexist within a population. Morphism in primates is common and langurs also exhibit certain characteristics of morphism, such as conspicuous natal coats. Banded langurs ( Presbytis femoralis ) and dusky leaf monkey ( Trachypithecus obscurus ) exhibits the same characteristics of conspicuous natal coats, but these coats are only limited to infants and changed when they reached adulthood. This article reports the first discovery of rare brown morph of two adult male banded langurs and one leucistic adult female dusky leaf monkey in Malaysia. We also conducted a systematic literature search to review the diversity of morphism in leaf monkey globally., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships which have, or could be perceived to have, influenced the work reported in this article., (© 2020 The Authors.)