Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders

Slow Loris Group

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Welcome

Brandon Speeg

What is Emerging

Wildlife Conservation

Leaders?

Zoologist

White Oak

Conservation Center

Ungulates (hoofed

animals)

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• Information

• Identification

• Care & Handling

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Key Facts Primate

Domestic and

international

legislation protects the slow loris

Native to countries in

Southeast Asia

Nocturnal - active at

night

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CITES Listing Convention on

International Trade in

Endangered Species

(CITES) of Wild Fauna and

Flora

Appendix I listed

All international

commercial trade banned

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IUCN Listing International Union for the

Conservation of Nature

Endangered

N. javanicus

Vulnerable

N. pygameus

N. bengalensis

N. coucang

N. menagensis

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Some Range Country Listings Country Regulation

Singapore Endangered Species (Import and Export Act Cap 82A

(ESA)

Wild Animals and Birds Act

Indonesia Decree No. 66 1973 of Ministry of Agriculture

Gov. Reg. No. 7 1999 concerning protection of Wild

Fauna and Flora

Act No. 5 1999

Thailand Wildlife Protection Act 1992

Vietnam Decree 32 2006 ND-CP

Cambodia PRAKAS 020

Malaysia Schedule 1 of totally protected animals

India Schedule 1 of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 8

Use in Traditional Medicine

All body parts used in

traditional medicine

In Cambodia, slow loris

was the second most

common mammal

observed at markets

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Use in Pet Trade • The pet trade is local,

regional and international

• Popular as a pet in range countries, and in China, Japan, Middle East, Russia, and Europe

• Prices seen from US$6 in Indonesia to US$1,500-$4,500 in Japan

• Easy to capture

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Slow Loris Species Five species of slow loris are

currently recognized

Variation between species in

size, markings and coloring

Nycticebus coucang Greater

N. bengalensis Bengal

N. menagensis Bornean

N. javanicus Javan

N. pygmaeus Pygmy/Lesser

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Slow Loris Species Range N. coucang Greater

Indonesia (Sumatra), Malaysia,

Thailand, Singapore

N. bengalensis Bengal Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia,

China, India, Laos, Myanmar

N. menagensis Bornean Malaysia, Indonesia

(Kalimantan), Brunei, Philippines

N. javanicus Javan Indonesia (Java)

N. pygmaeus Pygmy Vietnam, Lao, Cambodia, China,

East Thailand?

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Facial and Body Markings Identifying species in the

market can help you

determine if it is domestic

or international trade

Facial markings present

in all slow lorises but

variation in pattern

Between and within

species

Slow lorises vary in color

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Points to Note on Identification Variation within species

Chirping noise = juvenile

May not exhibit all species

characteristics

Look similar across the

species

Use fur characteristics to

identify young animals.

Use facial and body

markings to identify adult

animal

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Identification Difficulties Often dyed a different

colour to make them more

appealing

Sick or malnourished

animals often underweight

or do not exhibit all species

characteristics

If in doubt as to what

species, call an expert

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Diet The slow loris has a

diverse diet in the

wild:

Insects

Floral nectar

Sap

Gum

Fruit

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Uses Toxin as Defense Lifts arms to lick

secretion from inner

elbow gland

Mixture of saliva and

toxic secretion is injected

into predator with a bite

Can send predators,

including humans, into

anaphylactic shock

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Poor Conditions at Animal Markets Bites are common when

kept in small cages

Stress has a detrimental effect on its health

Diets inadequate and animals often dehydrated

Infants rarely survive

Roger Allen, IAR

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Teeth extraction Teeth often extracted by traders with nail clippers without

anaesthetics to make it seem younger and avoid bites

Can often cause lethal infection

Difficult to return them to the wild

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Immediate post-confiscation care Handle gently with gloves

Place in a box or container that

allows air supply

If the animal is in a secure cage

that can be confiscated and

moved, leave the animal in the

cage rather than cause stress

by capturing and moving the

animal into a new cage.

Consider draping the container

on three sides with a blanket to

reduce stress, as long as

ventilation is not stopped 22

Do not use a chicken wire cage. If a

chicken wire cage must be used, put

a towel or foliage down to protect their

feet and hands.

Slow loris can escape through narrow

gaps, so the container should be

secured.

The container should be kept at a

temperature of 19°- 30°C; injured and

weakened animals are more

susceptible to heat and cold stress.

Slow lorises should be transported in

non air-conditioned vehicles.

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Immediate post-confiscation care

Adding leaves and branches (bamboo)

to a container can reduce stress by

giving the animal a place to hide and

something to grasp.

If holding the animal for an extended

time in a large container, consider

adding a smaller box or tube for the

animal to hide and sleep in.

Do not put two animals in a same small

container if they were not together when

confiscated.

Place the animal somewhere quiet.

Take to rescue centre as soon as

possible.

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Immediate post-confiscation care

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Fruits:

banana

grapes

apple

mango

peeled orange

kiwi

durian

papaya

Vegetables:

squash

Peas

Beans

corn

beans

spinach

yam

Insects:

crickets

mealworms

beetles (small)

caterpillars

Other:

boiled egg whites

• Place water and food such as fruit (watermelon or banana) or

crickets in the box.

• Evaporated milk for infants.

• Possible food items:

Immediate post-confiscation care

This training was made possible by funding from the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the World Wildlife Fund

This presentation was originally created by Tricia Parish and Dr. KAI Nekaris of Oxford Brookes University. Parish, T.J. 2008. Identifying CITES Appendix I-listed slow lorises (Primates: Lorisidae: Nycticebus): a training programme for enforcement officials and rescue centres in

Southeast Asia. MSc Thesis. Oxford Brookes University, Oxford: UK. Thanks to the following people for the use of their photos: Edwin Wiek, Manoon Pliwsungnoen, Norman Lim, David Haring, San Diego Zoo, Anna Nekaris, Karmele Llano Sanchez, Alan Knight, Ulrike Streicher, Tilo Nadler, Carly Starr, Tim Redford, Dwi Nugroho, R. Butler, International Animal Rescue, Helga Schulze.

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