Are lockable bins a solution to human-wildlife conflict?

2026-02-02 - 01:16

Latches on garbage bins in Bukit Gasing prevent monkeys from opening them and foraging on waste. (Animal Neighbours Project pics) PETALING JAYA: A few years ago, Marjan Sipsma had to field regular complaints about rubbish bins being overturned by monkeys. Today, those bins are secured, and fewer of these animals are entering residential areas. “Now, the residents live more peacefully with the monkeys,” the 60-year-old said. On the forest edge of Bukit Gasing, a locked bin is achieving what years of complaints could not. By limiting access to household waste, residents have reduced encounters with long-tailed macaques, offering a practical test of coexistence amid urban growth and environmental change. Long-tailed macaques, also known as kera, have become one of the most visible faces of human-wildlife conflict in Malaysia’s urban areas. The wildlife and national parks department (Perhilitan) indicates around 7,000 complaints involving the species are recorded annually. Rapid urbanisation and shrinking green spaces are pushing macaques closer to residential areas. Climate change adds further pressure by affecting food availability and habitat conditions, increasing the likelihood of wildlife entering urban spaces. Bukit Gasing offers a clear example of this growing conflict. Residents previously reported macaques foraging inside homes, damaging property, and behaving defensively when approached too closely. Some residents, unsure how to respond, resorted to harmful deterrent methods, while others lodged complaints with Perhilitan. The authorities responded by setting up cages and translocating macaques. Identifying root causes While these measures addressed individual incidents, they did not resolve the reasons macaques repeatedly entered residential spaces. Enter the Animal Neighbours Project (ANP), a non-profit organisation promoting coexistence, which began working with residents to address the root causes of the conflict. “We observed that most interactions were linked to food attractants such as open bins, exposed rubbish, and occasional human feeding,” said project manager Juliana Nordin. ANP set up a local action group where community members could report issues, receive guidance, and collaborate on solutions. This resulted in the ANP bin latch, a stainless-steel mechanism designed to secure household bins using a dual-lock system. Notably, the latch is easy for humans to operate but difficult for macaques to open. According to Juliana, food availability for the macques dropped significantly when multiple households secured their bins. Protecting macaques in urban environments is closely linked to conserving biodiversity and mitigating impacts of climate change. (Uvakumar Mosiz pic) While the latch does not remove the monkeys from the neighbourhood, it reduces access to the waste that draws them into residential spaces, in turn lowering the frequency of human-primate encounters and complaints to Perhilitan. Shift in attitudes This change was not driven by hardware alone; it also depended on a shift in residents’ attitudes towards wildlife. In Bukit Gasing, a more positive view of coexistence helped the community adopt sustainable mitigation strategies, supported by ANP’s educational programmes. The emphasis here is on collective responsibility, since even a single unsecured bin can undermine wider community efforts. Crucially, ANP’s approach reduces the unnecessary removal of macaques, allowing them to continue their ecological roles as seed dispersers and contributors to forest regeneration. Surrounding forest patches can recover over time, acting as natural coolants, carbon absorbers, and stabilising forces for biodiversity. These functions are increasingly important as cities face rising temperatures and greater climate variability. All in all, the initiative proves coexistence is possible when communities are equipped with knowledge, practical tools, and a willingness to work together. By promoting understanding and sustainable practices, ANP offers a replicable model for urban neighbourhoods learning to live alongside wildlife, allowing communities to build climate resilience while supporting urban biodiversity. This story was produced as part of the PANAS! Climate Change Stories in Malaysia initiative by Science Media Centre Malaysia, in collaboration with WWF-Malaysia, and supported by the British Council Alumni UK Climate Action Grant.