Slow Loris Welfare: Victims of Viral Videos

Slow lorises are endangered primates that have become victims of the exotic pet trade driven partly by viral videos; their welfare needs make them entirely unsuitable as pets.

Key Facts

Slow lorises have a toxic bite — one of only a few venomous mammals — whose teeth are clipped in the pet trade
Viral video popularity has driven significant demand for slow lorises as pets despite their protected status
Lorises are nocturnal and become severely stressed by daylight handling shown in viral content
TRAFFIC estimated over 1,500 slow lorises traded illegally in Southeast Asia each year
Rescued slow lorises often cannot be released due to tooth clipping making them unable to feed naturally

Welfare Considerations

The slow loris welfare crisis illustrates how social media can amplify wildlife exploitation at scale. Videos of lorises being tickled with raised arms went viral as cute content; the raised arms were actually a defensive fear response. The animals were kept in daylight conditions that caused stress to nocturnal animals. Their venomous teeth had been clipped or removed, causing pain and infection, and preventing natural feeding. Once in the trade, lorises cannot be successfully returned to the wild due to this mutilation. The viral spread of this content normalised ownership of a protected, welfare-compromised, and illegally traded animal to millions of viewers.

What You Can Do

Never share slow loris pet content on social media which increases demand and normalises the trade
Report illegal slow loris trade and keeping to wildlife crime authorities
Support sanctuaries rehabilitating confiscated slow lorises in range countries
Donate to organisations working on demand reduction for slow lorises and other exotic pets
Raise awareness about the welfare harms depicted in slow loris viral content