Fourteen endangered slow lorises have been released into a National Park in Lampung, Sumatra in Indonesia as part of efforts to support the sustainability of ecological conservation areas and to help increase their population numbers.
The team at Team Animal Rescue want to help fight back against threats to the species survival, with some of the main causes being deforestation of their natural habitat, the wildlife trade, logging and other human activities.
Before these rare mammals could be released into a more natural habitat, they first had to undergo a recovery treatment process at a rehabilitation centre, in order to re-stimulate their natural behaviour, which is necessary if they want to survive and thrive again in the wild. Throughout this process they were closely monitored to ensure they were fit to survive and breed successfully in the wild.
For the final stage, the lorises has to be observed in a more natural habitat, where there were different types of trees and foods. If their behaviour is deemed to be ‘natural’, they can then successfully be released into the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. The team hope that this will help the species to be able to breed successfully and safely, without any external threats.
To support this new venture for the species, the Acting Head of TNBSS, Ismanto S.Hut has actively encouraged people to not hunt or keep the slow lorises in captivity, as well as stating that the species in now a primate protected by law. It is hoped that this can deter any potential disturbances to their re-introduction into the wild, where they will hopefully continue to thrive for the foreseeable future.