Our Oldest Pygmy Slow Loris Recently Passed Away

6 December 2017 | Animal Stories

A Pygmy Slow Loris, which was rescued in 1999, has recently died at the grand old age of 20. Since its establishment in 1994, the KFBG Wild Animal Rescue Centre has handled 50 Pygmy Slow Loris cases, and successfully rehomed 17 to zoos and conservation programmes worldwide. This female individual was one of the first lorises received, having been rescued from the wild animal trade.

Although we try our utmost to release rescued animals to their native wild range, or find new homes for them in a conservation breeding programme or zoo, we were unable to find a long-term home for this nocturnal, tree-dwelling primate. It was difficult, partly because when she was young and reproductive, the threats to the species were poorly understood and few accredited centres were keeping this species. When global trade in lorises was banned in 2007 and became a more prominent issue, she was already middle-aged and not the best candidate for conservation programmes.

We tried to provide the best for her over the past 18 years in captivity by providing an enriched environment, companionship and a varied diet, to mimic the experiences she may have had in the wild.

She outlived her own twin offspring, which were born in 2005, one of which joined a conservation breeding programme in Singapore Zoo in 2008.

The Pygmy Slow Loris is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because it is heavily hunted by humans in its home range of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam for traditional medicine and the illegal pet trade.

Unlike many other primates, lorises do not have a tail. They make up for this by having muscular hands and feet that allow them to effortlessly and powerfully grasp branches as they travel through the forest.

She will be missed by her animal care team, but we feel satisfied that she had a safe and comfortable life with us.

Please do not buy illegally captured and traded exotic pets. Please report their offer for sale to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department by dialing 1823.