Roy Goh New Straits Times 18 Jul 11;
KINABATANGAN: It is one of the most common primate species owned illegally as pets in Asia, but there is hope yet for the Bornean slow loris in Sabah.
A male was caught recently and fitted with a VHF (very high frequency) radio-collar before being released into the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.
Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) director Dr Benoit Goosens said the collar, at less than three per cent of the animal's body weight, could help scientists learn more about the timid-looking animal.
"Little is known about the Bornean slow loris, particularly in Sabah... any information collected will be important in better understanding the species, from sleeping site locations and preferences, to ranging behaviour.
"With this study, we hope to raise awareness of the importance of protecting nocturnal primates as well as protecting orang utans, proboscis monkeys, sun bears and elephants," he said.
Goosens said the joint effort between the centre and the Sabah Wildlife Department was funded by the on-going Nocturnal Primate Project from the Columbus Zoo and Cleveland Zoological Society in the United States.
State Wildlife Department director Dr Laurentius Ambu said next to macaques, the slow loris was the second most common primate species owned illegally as pets in Asia.
"Although slow lorises are protected by law from international and commercial trade, the greatest growing threat to slow lorises is the illegal pet trade," he said, adding that the animal was also in demand for the medicinal and ornamental trade.
On top of that, slow lorises faced high mortality rates when transported to markets, due to starvation, dehydration and infections from dental health injuries, as their teeth were removed to increase sales, added Ambu.
"The Bornean slow loris is one of the two cryptic nocturnal primates, with the Western tarsier, which lives in Borneo. It is the only species equipped with a toxic defence and hunting mechanism, producing a toxin or poison by combining its saliva with secretions from its upper arms," said Danica Stark, a primatologist based at DGFC involved in the project.
Homing in on slow loris
The Star 18 Jul 11;
KOTA KINABALU: The Bornean slow loris has become the latest species to be fitted with a radio collar as conservationists try to understand its behavioural pattern.
With little known about the nocturnal primate, particularly in Sabah, the collar will help researchers get a better understanding of the animal's sleeping sites and preferences as well as its movement behaviour.
The slow loris named “Krik” (which is one of the words used to describe the noises they make a clicking, chirping noise) was fitted with a radio collar by Sabah Wildlife Department and Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) in the forest of the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary recently.
“Although slow lorises are protected by law from international and commercial trade, the greatest growing threat to slow lorises is the illegal pet trade. It is the second most common primate species owned as pets in Asia, next to macaques,” Sabah Wildlife Department director Dr Laurentius Ambu said.
He said they had also become an important species for medicinal and ornamental trade.
Lorises face extremely high mortality rates in markets as transportion causes starvation and dehydration.
“They also suffer infections from dental injuries when their teeth are removed to increase their sales,” added Dr Laurentius.
Primate expert Danica Stark, who is part of the project, said the Bornean slow loris was one of two mysterious nocturnal primates.
The other is the Western tarsier that lives in Borneo.
“The slow loris is the only species equipped with a toxic defence and hunting mechanism, producing a toxin or poison by combining its saliva with secretions from its upper arms,” Stark explained.
DGFC director Dr Benoit Goossens said the ongoing Nocturnal Primate project was funded by Columbus Zoo and Cleveland Zoological Society in the United States.
He said it was the first time a slow loris from Sabah was fitted with a radio collar and DGFC research assistant Baharudin Resak was monitoring the primate's movements within the forest.
“The collar weighs less than 3% of the body weight, so it will not hinder the animal as it moves around the forest searching for insects, lizards and other prey,” Dr Goossens said.
“We also hope to raise the awareness in Sabah on the importance of protecting nocturnal primates as much as protecting orang utans, proboscis monkeys, sun bears and elephants,” he added.
He said a radio collar had already been fitted on a tarsier while Borneo pygmy elephants and a saltwater crocodile had satellite collars.
