Bengal Slow Loris - Conservation

Conservation

Listed as "Data Deficient" as recently as 2006 on the IUCN Red List, The Bengal slow loris was evaluated in 2008 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as "Vulnerable"—a decision based solely on habitat loss due to lack of sufficient field data. It is found within numerous protected areas within its range; however, poaching and illegal logging are rampant while conservation measures are not species-specific. The species can be found in at least 43 protected areas in Northeast India, 14 conservation areas in Laos, and 24 protected areas in Vietnam. It can be found at Lawachara National Park in Bangladesh, and 80% of its range in China is protected. The species has been listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and in June 2007, it was transferred along with all other slow loris species to CITES Appendix I, which forbids international commercial trade.

The most severe threats facing the species are the wildlife trade (trapping for exotic pets and use in traditional medicine) and deforestation. Slash and burn agriculture has also resulted in the destruction of its habitat, and road construction is another factor in its decline. Hunting has been found to be most severe when nearby urban human populations increase. Enhancing protection measures, enforcing current wildlife protection laws, and improving the connectivity between protected areas are factors considered critical to ensure the survival of this species.

The species is commonly sold as a pet and to zoos throughout Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, it was reported in 2006 as one of the most common mammals found in shops and stalls, found in the hundreds and selling for US$0.85 to US$6.25. In the same year, it was found selling for US$2.50 to US$6.30 at bazaars in China (Mengla County in Yunnan Province) and US$70 in Thailand. The Bengal slow loris is used in traditional medicine in all of these countries, selling for US$15 in Vietnam, and is also eaten in Vietnam. The animal is predominantly used to prepare treatments for women after childbirth, stomach problems, healing wounds and broken bones, and in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Primary users are wealthy to middle-class women in urban areas.