Winged Creature Seen Hopping On Ground After Crash-Landing Near HDB Flats In Bukit Panjang

We’re used to seeing gliding mammals like flying lemurs at the Singapore Zoo or on National Geographic.

But definitely not flopping around like a stranded pancake at an HDB estate.

That was exactly what Reddit user penisguacanmole captured in a 13-second video showing what appears to be a Malayan flying lemur aka Sunda colugo awkwardly hopping on a grass patch in Bukit Panjang.

It’s unclear what time of day the footage was taken.

But the unusual sight of a wild colugo grounded in a residential area would definitely give anyone a shock.

One netizen jokingly commented, “looks like roti prata trying to escape”.

These gliding mammals are native to Singapore and usually shy away from humans. They also hide in trees. When in the air, they can cover up to 150m in a single leap.

They are found in forested areas, including the forested areas of Bukit Panjang, which explains how this one might have strayed into the residential estate.

According to a netizen comment, this critter probably lives on the fringe of the forest spotted at Bukit Panjang.

“Colugos living on the fringe of urban areas tend to misjudge the distance between the trees, and find themselves either crash-landing on the ground, or worse on the road,” he said.

The netizen also highlighted that should colugos land on concrete or hard surfaces, their sharp claws can be blunted when they hop around, making it difficult for them to climb back up a tree.

Thankfully, it seems the creature was spotted on soft grass in the video.

Penisguacanmole later updated that the colugo managed to find its way up a tree, though he didn’t notice it gliding away.

Photos:penisguacamole/Reddit, Nparks