Tamil Nadu Notifies India’s First Slender Loris Sanctuary: Here's All About This Deadly Animal

In a first in the country, Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday notified Kaduvur Slender Loris sanctuary covering 11,806 hectares in Karur and Dindigul districts.

Slender Loris that are small nocturnal mammals are arboreal in nature as they spend most of their life on trees. The species acts as a biological predator of pests in agricultural crops and benefits farmers.

slender loris

Endangered species by IUCN

Listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Slender Loris has a wide range of ecological roles to play in the terrestrial ecosystem. The survival of the species depends on its habitat improvement, conservation efforts and mitigation of threats, said Supriya Sahu, additional chief secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests, in a statement.

Realising the need for immediate conservation of this species, the State government identified forest areas measuring 11,800 hectares in Karur and Dindigul districts as important habitats, she added. The Kadavur Slender Loris sanctuary is to cover Vedasandur, Dindigul East and Natham taluks in Dindigul district and Kadavur taluk in Karur district.  

Nature Time - Trekked deep into Kadavur Hills Reserve Forest to Valerumbu falls; it has d largest population of Slender Oris/தேவாங்கு, a critically endangered primate.A sanctuary for their conservation is now in my personal wish list.Request your kind support mam @supriyasahuias pic.twitter.com/9ajQIN3YhS

— Prabhushankar T Gunalan (@prabhusean7) June 25, 2021

About Slender Loris

The slender lorises (Loris) are a genus of loris native to India and Sri Lanka. The genus comprises two species, the red slender loris found in Sri Lanka and the gray slender loris from Sri Lanka and India.

Slender lorises spend most of their life in trees, traveling along the tops of branches with slow and precise movements. They are found in tropical rainforests, scrub forests, semi-deciduous forests, and swamps. The primates have lifespans of approximately 15 years and are nocturnal. Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day.

slender loris

Slender lorises generally feed on insects, reptiles, plant shoots, and fruit. They may look harmless, but a slow loris can pack a gnarly bite laced with venom powerful enough to rot flesh.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.