Zoo Slow Loris Rescue and Rehabilitation

Slow lorises are victims of the illegal pet trade and require specialist rehabilitation, with welfare severely compromised by tooth clipping and inappropriate captive conditions.

Key Facts

All eight slow loris species are protected by CITES Appendix I prohibiting commercial international trade
Slow lorises are illegally sold as pets particularly in Southeast Asia after viral videos created demand
Teeth are illegally clipped by traders causing pain, infection and inability to feed naturally
Slow lorises have a toxic bite that is dangerous and their glands are sometimes removed illegally
International Animal Rescue and Little Fireface Project run slow loris rehabilitation programmes
Rehabilitated slow lorises with intact teeth can potentially be returned to the wild

Welfare Considerations

Slow loris welfare in the pet trade involves multiple severe welfare violations from capture to sale. Wild-caught animals experience trapping trauma and social deprivation. Tooth clipping causes acute and chronic pain, infection risk and nutritional compromise. Captive conditions are entirely inappropriate for these nocturnal, arboreal, socially complex animals. Rehabilitation is difficult and lengthy because these issues compound each other. Welfare advocacy should focus on reducing demand through education - the viral videos that made slow lorises appear appealing as pets actually showed animals in extreme distress expressing threat behaviour, not happiness.

What You Can Do

Never share or engage positively with slow loris pet videos - the apparent 'smiling' is a fear response
Report suspected slow loris keeping or trade to relevant wildlife authorities
Support Little Fireface Project and International Animal Rescue rehabilitation programmes
Advocate for stronger wildlife trafficking enforcement in range and destination countries