Severianus Endi The Jakarta Post 3 Nov 17;
Four Sunda slow lorises, known locally as kukang, have been sent to a rehabilitation camp in a protected forest in Mount Tarak, Ketapang regency, West Kalimantan, so they can regain their wild instincts.
Having long been kept as pets, the slow lorises underwent a rehabilitation process at a shelter owned by the International Animal Rescue (IAR) organization in the past year before being sent to Mt. Tarak for further wildlife training at the end of October.
Ruswanto of the West Kalimantan Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA) told The Jakarta Post on Friday that two of the four Sunda slow lorises were adult females that had been confiscated from local residents in Pontianak. Another slow loris rescued by the agency’s personnel in Sambas regency was an adult male, he added.
Ruswanto said also that during the rehabilitation process at the IAC shelter, a baby slow loris was born and it was now four months old.
It is expected the four slow lorises will be able to immediately adapt and regain their wild instincts as Mt.Tarak remains a well preserved ecosystem and is home to several notable species. These include orangutans and other primates, helmeted hornbills and various other species of birds and mammals.
“There is an abundance of natural food in the area," said Ruswanto.
Located in Sungai Awan Kiri village in Muara Pawan district, the IAR shelter began its activities as an orangutan rehabilitation center in November 2009. The shelter, which covers almost 60 hectares, employs 25 animal nurses and has 15 cages. The center is equipped with a clinic and an orangutan school. (ebf)
8 Javan slow lorises released into natural habitat
Aman Rochman The Jakarta Post 9 Nov 17;
Eight Javan slow lorises seized from illegal wildlife trade networks were released to the Kondang Merak protected forest area in Malang, East Java, on Wednesday.
The slow lorises – four males and four females – were seized by Kediri Police personnel from illegal traders during separate operations in July.
The Aspinall Foundation’s Javan Langur Center (JLC) communication officer, Anang Eko, said the eight Javan slow lorises underwent three months of quarantine and rehabilitation overseen by the International Animal Rescue (IAR) team in Bogor, West Java, before they were released into their natural habitat.
The rehabilitation included medical check-ups and training that aimed to help the animals control their behavior, he went on.
“They moved from one place to another in poor living conditions and consumed food unsuitable for them. Hence, their health, eating patterns and emotional condition need to be rehabilitated,” said Anang on Thursday.
The slow lorises showed signs of stress, dehydration and malnutrition when the police rescued them, he added.
“We were only able to release them into their natural habitat after they were deemed healthy and completed rehabilitation. We worked with IAR, the East Java Natural Resource Conservation Agency [BBKSDA] and the Kediri Police for their release,” Anang said, adding that the protected forest in southern Malang was in good condition and widely known as the natural habitat of Javan slow lorises. (ebf)
