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HER instincts as a veterinarian prompted her to stop her vehicle in the middle of the road to save an injured lotong (silvered leaf monkey) that was believed to have been hit by a vehicle recently.
A 46-second video of Dr Marlia Zulkapli holding a lotong named Kula received positive feedback from netizens who praised her efforts to save the wild animal.
Dr Marlia said that in the 10 am incident, she was on her way from Simpang Renggam to her clinic in Pekan Nanas, Johor, when she saw a black object in the middle of the road.
"I saw a black object right on the white line in the middle of the road. When I saw it moving, I was shocked, and only then did I know it was a living animal.
"At that time, I saw lorries and cars trying to avoid the lotong.
"I was worried if a vehicle would hit it," she said when contacted by Harian Metro.
According to her, even though she was aware that stopping in the middle of the highway was very dangerous, she could not bear to let the animal remain there without help.
"Maybe God wanted me to help this lotong, too. I knew that the action was risky and should not be attempted carelessly, but at that time the situation was urgent," she said.
Dr Marlia said that after ensuring that the situation was completely safe, she stopped the vehicle before getting out.
"I immediately went towards the lotong and saw that there was blood on the road.
"The animal was sitting still, but its face, ears and legs were already bleeding. When I picked it up, its left leg was drooping, and it is believed that it was broken after being hit," he said.
She said that after seeing the injuries suffered by the lotong were quite serious, she decided to take it to her clinic for further treatment.
Sharing the latest developments on Kula, Dr Marlia said that after eight days of treatment, its health condition is improving.
"It has started eating, seems more active and calmer than when it was first brought to the clinic.
"The only problem now is the injury to its leg because the bone is quite bad and requires a longer recovery period," she said.
She said that lotongs are wild animals that live in groups and spend a lot of time in trees.
Therefore, she said the leg injury could affect the animal's chances of survival if released too early.
"I will probably make sure it is completely healed first before thinking about the next step.
"I will also seek the views of PERHILITAN and friends who have experience in handling wildlife.
"If there is a suitable location or protection centre, that may be the best option for Kula from now on," she said. – May 23, 2026
See video here https://www.facebook.com/reel/966242846020008