Chennai: A slender loris, commonly called ‘thevangu’ in Tamil, which is an endangered species, was rescued from a trader near Vellore bus stand by a group of animal protection acti¬vists.
The slender loris was found in a traumatised state and had suffered minor injuries. The animal is commonly found in India and Sri Lanka but, according to biologists, poaching activity has led to the steady decline of the species in Tamil Nadu.
The species, listed as endangered under the wildlife protection Act, has a lifespan of 15 years and is generally nocturnal in nature. Slender loris generally feed on insects, reptiles, shoots of plants and fruits. It is reported that the decline in the population of the species is due to constant destruction of tropical rain forests.
“The present capture of the slender loris tells that our public has lost touch with the wild. Many buyers are not only ignorant of the animal they purchase as pets but also the law that bans trade and purchase of endangered species,” said S. Sukumar, general secretary, New World Animal Rescue, the animal protection activists group that saved the slender loris in Vellore on Saturday.
