Slow loris

Slow loris

Common name : Kukang, Nycticebus coucang

(Asian Primates Journal, 2014)

Slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) or more commonly known as slow loris is one of the primate species protected under Republic of Indonesia Law number 5 of 1990. Slow loris belongs to the category of vulnerability / IUCN and Appendix I (CITES). Distribution in nature includes Sumatra, Riau islands, and Natuna Island (APJ vol. 4, 2014). The head and body length is 265-380 mm, with a very short tail. Short, thick brown hair to brownish red, ventral parts are usually brighter. Dark lines from neck to back (Nowak 1991). Hair color variations are very likely to occur based on their habitat area (Schulze 2006a).

Slow loris has a slow reproductive rate, and only one child at each birth. The length of pregnancy was 184-197 days, with the distance of each pregnancy 12-18 months, and the duration of breastfeeding was 175-213 days (Wiens 2002; Weisenseel et al. 1998).

Slow loris is a solitary living animal but is also stable in small groups consisting of one adult male, one adult female, and can be up to three young individuals (Wiens 2002). Slow loris can live to be 20 years old (Rowe 1996).

Biggest threat

Significant loss of natural habitat and hunting is the biggest threat to these animals. The function of forests to become agricultural land, plantations, housing, industrial estates causes lorises to lose their homes and sources of food. Slow lorises are often traded as pets in various locations in Indonesia. The trade in slow loris began to increase in the late 1990s (Nijman 2002). This trade estimate is very high, such as in Palembang 40 fish / month (ProFauna Indonesia 2006), Jakarta Scout market 200 heads / month (Haas 2006), Medan bird market 692 birds in the period 1997-2001 (Shepherd et al. 2004) . Even these animals are also smuggled abroad through Madan to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand (Shepherd et al. 2004). In 2003, 117 slow lorises were confiscated in Jakarta which would be smuggled into Japan and Kuwait (Smits in litt. 2003).

Editor : Suryo Saputro
Photo : Entang Iskandar

Referensi

Asian Primates Journal volume 4 number 1 2014, A Journal of the Southeast Asia, South Asia and China Sections of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group

den Haas, F. (2006): Loris monkeys near extinction: Java, Indonesia. Jakarta Post 20th January.

Nijman, V. (2002): Forest and primates, a general introduction to the conservation of endemic primates in the Sundaic region. In: Forest (and) primates: Conservation and ecology of the endemic primates of Java and Borneo. Tropenbos Kalimantan Series 5, Tropenbos International (ed.), Wageningen, The Netherlands: 1-12.

Nowak, R. (1991): Walker’s mammals of the world. Vol.1; 5th Edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, London.

ProFrauna Indonesia (2006): Each month 40 slow lorises and 20 leopard cats are being illegally traded in Palembang, Sumatra. Press release dated 19th May.

Rowe, N. (1996): A pictorial guide to the living primates. Pogonias Press, New York.

Schulze, H. (2006a): in litt. to Pro Wildlife, email correspondence April

Shepherd, C. et al. (2004): Open season: An analysis of the pet trade in Medan, Sumatra 1997-2001. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.

Smits, W. (2003): in litt. to H. Schulze, dated 30th January.

Weisenseel, K. et al. (1998): A comparison of reproduction in two species of Nycticebus. Folia Primatol. 69 (suppl.1): 321-324.

Wiens, F. (2002): Behaviour and ecology of wild slow lorises (Nycticebus coucang): Social organisation, infant care system and diet. Dissertation, Faculty of Biology, Chemistry, and Geosciences, University Bayreuth.