Primate under threat: Why the slender loris needs a protected area in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul

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Scientists from the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History(SACON) in Coimbatore carried out a survey of Grey slender loris populations in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul forest division.

What is Grey Slender Loris?

The Grey slender loris belongs to the family Loridae. It is a species of primate.

Conservation Status

IUCN Status: Endangered

CITES: Appendix II

Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972: Schedule I

Habitat: It is commonly found in the tropical scrub and deciduous forests as well as the dense hedgerow plantations bordering farmlands of Southern India and Sri Lanka.

– In Tamil Nadu, it generally inhabits dry and drought-prone areas of the Dindigul district. It is found in acacia and tamarind-dominated thorn and scrub forests near cultivated fields.

Characteristics

Features: It has got a lean and lanky appearance with long and slender limbs, larger ears, a pointed snout and eyes circled with black or dark brown. The fur is soft and wooly. The colour varies from dark grey to earthy brown.

Nocturnal Animal: The Grey slender loris is a nocturnal animal. It is also a slow-moving animal. It comes down into the bushes to feed and crosses open stretches of ground to enter isolated groves or to cross from one tree to another.

Diet: Though it is insectivorous animal, it is fond of berries also.

Threats: The loris has become threatened mainly because of habitat loss.

– The disappearance of the acacia tree (a preferred tree species of the loris), hunting for the pet trade and for their meat, road kills, superstitious kills, traditional medicine and habitat fragmentation pose serious threats to this primate.

Source: The post is based on the article “Primate under threat: Why the slender loris needs a protected area in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul” published in Down To Earth on 3rd May 2022