Primitive primates indigenous to Southeast Asia, Slow Lorises are endangered and absurdly adorable. Most importantly, they just so happen to be this editor,Aeos favorite animal since early childhood. However, it wouldn,Aeot take a childhood obsession to be appalled at the horrors of the illegal loris trade.

Prized for their cuddliness, slow lorises are sold in Japan as impulse-buy pets like puppies. But the process of getting them to Japan is fraught with misery for the animals. Baby lorises are the most valuable, but unable to care for themselves. They cannot defecate without assistance from their parents and this causes great pain and unclean fur that results in infection. However, adults fair no better as smugglers have been known to pull out the adults,Aeo teeth so the animals appear younger than their actual age. Lorises have very sensitive hands and feet and when they are pulled from their cages, it frequently cuts open their skin.

Even worse fates are in store for many lorises that do not make it to the boat, as ,Aeuloris wine,Aeu is prized in Cambodia as an anesthetic to help with the pains of childbirth. It takes three smoked lorises to make an effective loris wine. Honestly, is there any endangered animal that people don,Aeot drink, smoke, snort or inject over there? Have these people heard of aspirin? The Cambodian government has just pushed through a ban on the trade in slow lorises, although it is unclear how well it can be enforced. About 700 animals were recovered last year between and Japan last year, but estimates are that only about 10% of illegal animals are recovered. If anyone is interested in starting a Slow Loris conservation fund, please contact us.

Slow loris, Genus Nycticebus
Add to: Slashdot del.icio.us
reddit
newsvine
Y! MyWeb