2 Weak Lorises Arrive at WFFT

A few days ago two very weak and emaciated Sunda slow lorises (Nycticebus coucang) were brought into the WFFT Wildlife Hospital for urgent treatment by their owner. The lorises in question had been kept as pets for the last year after they were given to the lady by a family member from Southern Thailand. She named them Phet and Reang, they were kept in a small cage in her house for a year until they both became very sick, at this point she released that she should not keep them as pets. The lady said she had fed them a diet of fruit, and one of them had not eaten for a month. Upon arrival to WFFT we were all shocked to find two very thin sickly lorises.

The Sunda slow loris is listed as Vulnerable (VU) by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, due to loss of habitat and severe pressures from hunting. The major threats that this species’ habitat faces include farming, timber removal, human settlement, road building, dams, power lines, fragmentations, soil loss and erosion, and deliberately set fires. They are hunted and traded for food, traditional “medicine”, sport, and as pets.

For now, the stronger of the two lorises is doing well, the weaker one is still not eating but is receiving round-the-clock are from the WFFT Vet Team. Is this stark reality enough to kill any urge of wanting to keep a loris as a pet? These poor souls have gone through hell. Wild Animal Are Not Pets –Keep Them Wild!!! We will keep you posted on their progress.