Zoo Slow Loris Rescue and Advocacy: Combating the Illegal Pet Trade

Slow lorises are endangered primates devastated by the illegal pet trade; zoos and rescue centres play a critical role in rehabilitation while advocacy challenges viral social media demand.

Key Facts

All eight slow loris species are CITES Appendix I protected; all trade is illegal
Slow lorises are the only venomous primate; their teeth are often brutally clipped before sale as pets
Viral social media videos of "cute" lorises in homes have dramatically amplified demand for illegal pets
Wild-caught lorises suffer extreme stress during capture and transport; mortality in transit is very high
The International Animal Rescue Slow Loris Rescue Centre in West Java cares for confiscated animals
Lorises are nocturnal, solitary foragers that cannot thrive in human household environments

Welfare Considerations

Slow lorises sold as pets endure tooth-clipping without anaesthesia — a deeply painful mutilation that prevents them from eating normally or defending themselves. They suffer the chronic stress of captivity in inappropriate bright, social, and stimulating human environments entirely contrary to their nocturnal solitary nature. Many die within months. Confiscated lorises in rescue centres often carry disease, are malnourished, and have severe psychological trauma requiring years of specialist care before any possibility of release. Advocacy organisations use the lorises' social media presence strategically — reframing "cute" loris videos as depictions of animal suffering — to reduce demand.

What You Can Do

Never share or like videos depicting slow lorises or other wild animals as pets
Report illegal slow loris content on social media platforms using their wildlife trade policies
Support Little Fireface Project and International Animal Rescue slow loris conservation programmes
Donate to slow loris rescue centres providing lifetime care for unreleasable confiscated animals