Slow Loris Welfare and Illegal Pet Trade

Slow lorises, the only venomous primates, are illegally traded as pets despite laws protecting them and their teeth being clipped for safety, causing permanent welfare harm and population decline.

Key Facts

All eight slow loris species are protected under CITES Appendix I prohibiting commercial trade
Slow lorises sold as pets have their teeth clipped to prevent their venomous bite, causing chronic pain and infection
Viral videos of slow lorises being tickled show signs of fear response, not enjoyment
The illegal pet trade has driven population declines of over 50% in some slow loris species
Slow lorises require highly specialized diets including live insects and gum that most captive conditions cannot provide

Welfare Considerations

Slow lorises in the illegal pet trade have undergone tooth clipping — typically with wire cutters without anesthetic — that removes venomous teeth and causes permanent pain from exposed dental pulp and infection. The tickling behavior shown in viral videos represents a fear response of animals unable to escape. Slow lorises in captivity suffer from metabolic bone disease from inadequate UV, dental disease, nutritional deficiency, and chronic stress. The appropriate response to a viral slow loris video is to report it to wildlife authorities, not share it as entertaining content.

What You Can Do

Never purchase or encourage the keeping of slow lorises as pets
Report social media content featuring pet slow lorises to the platform and wildlife authorities
Support Little Fireface Project rescue and rehabilitation of illegally traded slow lorises
Share accurate information about slow loris welfare to reduce the demand driving the illegal trade