TRAFFIC 3 Apr 12;
Jakarta, Indonesia, 3rd April 2012—Despite global efforts to halt the growing demand for slow lorises as exotic pets, the primates continue to be offered for sale, with 50 individuals found in Jakarta’s animal markets over the past fortnight.
Although totally protected under Indonesian law, slow lorises were also observed for sale in shopping malls and at a flora and fauna exhibition, designed to raise awareness of Indonesia’s rich biodiversity.
Only a week ago, 30 were seen on sale during a single visit to Jati Negara market, where slow lorises are openly sold on a daily basis.
Ranking high on the cute-and-cuddly scale, slow lorises have long been in demand as exotic pets. The problem gained international prominence after a 2009 YouTube video of a slow loris being tickled went viral.
Several international and local groups have subsequently launched online campaigns petitioning for the removal of such videos.
A recent BBC documentary on the Slow Loris of Indonesia fronts a renewed call to educate consumers and end the illegal trade in the animals.
Nevertheless, slow lorises are still a common sight in wildlife markets in some Southeast Asian countries, particularly those in Indonesia, where markets such as Jati Negara are found in most major centres.
Other markets in Jakarta, such as the well known Pramuka Market, are also major centres for illegal wildlife trade.
“The authorities need to clean up these markets and Indonesia’s reputation as a major centre of illegal wildlife trade,” says Chris R. Shepherd, Deputy Regional Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.
“The openness of the slow loris trade highlights the fact that having one of the region’s best wildlife protection laws and promising to protect species is not enough—there must be stronger enforcement in Indonesia and the public should stop supporting the illegal wildlife trade,” says Shepherd.
There are three slow loris species in Indonesia and trade is a major threat to all. The Greater Slow Loris Nycticebus coucang and the Bornean Slow Loris N. menagensis are listed by the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable, and the Javan Slow Loris N. javanicus, is listed as Endangered.
“Indonesia has an amazing array of unique wildlife and it is time real action is taken to protect it,” says Shepherd.
Illegal Trade of Protected Loris Still Rife in Jakarta
Ulma Haryanto Jakarta Globe 4 Apr 12;
Despite its protected status, slow loris sales are still rampant in Jakarta, activists warned on Wednesday.
A two-week field survey by wildlife monitoring group Traffic last month at Jatinegara market in East Jakarta found 50 of the small primates being sold openly, including 30 in a single visit.
“The authorities need to clean up these markets and Indonesia’s reputation as a major center of illegal wildlife trade,” Chris. Shepherd, deputy regional director of Traffic Southeast Asia, said in a statement.
“The openness of the slow loris trade highlights the fact that despite having one of the region’s best wildlife protection laws and promising to protect species, there must be stronger enforcement in Indonesia and the public should stop supporting the illegal wildlife trade.”
Pramudya Harzani, from the Jakarta Animal Aid Network, told the Jakarta Globe that such trades are being made openly in several markets in the capital.
“We recently received an e-mail from someone who saw stalls set up in the Blok M area [South Jakarta] with baby slow lorises and baby owls for sale,” he said.
According to him there are two or three lorises captured from the wild, transported, and sold in Jakarta every day.
“Collectors buy lorises from the hunters for Rp 20,000 to Rp 60,000 [$2.20 to $6.60] per head depending on the season and sell them again for Rp 100,000 to Rp 300,000,” Pramudya explained. “The price could go higher if the seller dyed the lorises with peroxide or other colors and tell potential customers that it’s a rare species.”
Most lorises that are brought to Jakarta came from West Java, Lampung and South Sumatra.
“They are usually put in fruit crates or boxes, and the collectors hire old women to transport them via land since the police would be less likely to arrest them if they got caught,” Pramudya said.
Along the way, 10 percent of the animals die out of dehydration or stress.
“Another 10 percent also die in the market because of too much exposure to sunlight or bad food,” he explained. Lorises are nocturnal animals.
“The sad thing is these lorises die anyway after about four months, mostly because of infection caused by the pulling of their teeth,” he added. Hunters do this so that the animals will not scare buyers.
Pramudya also said that even though all three species of slow lorises are protected under the 1990 Law on Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems, and capturing and trading them carries a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of up to Rp 100 million, the trade is still rampant.
Lorises are found only in South and Southeast Asia.
