Slow Loris

Nycticebus

Every year, thousands of Slow Lorises are illegally poached from the wild to be sold in the pet trade. The Slow Loris is the only poisonous primate, with a venomous bite. Before they are sold as pets, their teeth are pulled out (without anaesthetic), all to make them easier to handle as pets. This procedure is horrific and extremely painful, and can often lead to infection or death. In the wild, they live a nocturnal life. They feed on a complex diet of fruit and insects. When they are captured, they are transported in dark, cramped boxes with poor ventilation. Those that survive this journey face being kept in brightly lit rooms and fed unsuitably. This causes discomfort and distress, which leads to obesity, diabetes, infection and malnutrition. Online videos of Slow Lorises being tickled have circulated, which may seem cute and funny. In reality, they are distressed. Sadly, the rise of popularity of these videos is causing a higher demand for the Slow Loris as a pet, rather than a wild animal.