Saving the Loris!

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Have you ever spotted a small and slender primate, with soft dense fur, lean limbs,
large ears and large bulging eyes, floating on the treetops whilst strolling through the
parks or green patches of our city? A vast majority of people in our city wouldn’t have
heard about Slender lorises, let alone they know the fact that these elusive furry
creatures could be sharing our neighbourhoods. Slender lorises (Loris) are a genus of
loris native to India and Sri Lanka. These animals are about 25 cm long and weigh
around 275 grams.

The slender loris spends most of its life in trees (arboreal), travelling along the top of
branches with slow and precise movements. It is found in tropical rainforests, scrub
forests, semi-deciduous forests, and swamps. The species have lifespans of 15 years
and are nocturnal. Slender lorises generally feed on insects, reptiles, shoots of plants,
and fruits.

With a small, vestigial tail, their most distinguishing feature is the pair of two large,
closely set, brown eyes which they use for precise depth perception. In Kannada, they
are known as Kaadu Paapa that translate into forest baby. Though endemic to the
Indian subcontinent, they are one of the least studied among all the primates in India.

IUCN has listed them Endangered Species and they are placed under the Schedule
1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India,1972 which classifies them as a species that
require the highest level of legal protection. These animals face a threat from poachers
due to the misplaced belief that they have magical and medicinal powers. While they
continue to be threatened by this poaching and the illegal pet trade, the gravest danger
they face in a city is habitat destruction.



Until a decade ago, the city had a large canopy of trees that kept it under a cooling
shade.  The connected treetops, besides providing food and shelter to different
creatures, also played the role of midway points for species moving between habitats of
the city. They were substantial for the canopy creatures such as lorises.

Once abounded with sparrows, we no longer get to see them in the city. Would our
Kaadu Paapa have the same fate? It’s our responsibility to save this species from going
into oblivion. Their future is in our hands. Understanding and protecting them and their
habitat would also play a role in the conservation of other species that are fast
disappearing. It’s high time we stand for our city and its wildlife wealth and heritage.

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