Take a closer look at the slow loris, specifically the Bengal slow loris and the Pygmy slow loris in Vietnam. Large-eyed, arboreal, and solitary, these nocturnal primates face declining populations due to trapping and trade, partially due to their YouTube popularity.
American Museum of Natural History Primatologist and Conservation Biologist Mary Blair is working with a team of researchers to collect population data for these two species so that they can better understand the animals’ dwindling numbers and improve local conservation efforts.
The researchers’ work includes forest surveys where they encounter the animals while walking on trails or transects at night, and gathering data from slow loris collections in museums around the world. Blair and her colleagues also collaborate with Vietnamese authorities to help identify confiscated species.
They’re also working to better understand the cultural and socioeconomic drivers of wildlife trade in Vietnam.
Related info at AMNH: The slow loris has saliva that can be lethal to predators.
Explore more videos about conservation, including The Pygmy Sloths of Isla Escudo de Veraguas and The Kakapo: The world’s only flightless parrot is a very rare bird.
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