Primates in Peril

Moore et al. (2014) assessed the success of reintroduction
of Javan slow lorises, finding up to a 90% death rate.
Illness, hypothermia and exhaustion were all implicated
in the death of lorises. Sadly, reintroductions were
started before anything was known about the behavior,
ecology or wild distribution of slow lorises. No habitat
assessment could be made since it was not even
known in what type of habitat the species occurred.
Subsequently it is reported that success is improving,
but no published data are available. A related study
of pygmy slow loris in Vietnam found that the season
in which lorises are released as well as the age of the
releases is vital for success (Kenyon et al. 2014).
In 2011, the first long-term study of Javan slow loris
behavioural ecology was instigated by the Little
Fireface Project in Garut District, West Java, Indonesia
(Nekaris 2014; Rode-Margono et al. 2014). This multidisciplinary
project has obtained the first data about
slow loris behavior in an agroforest matrix, including
home range size, social organization, infant dispersal,
and feeding ecology. Some notable discoveries have
been that both sexes disperse from their natal range at
about 18 months old, that dispersal distances are some
1-2 km from the natal range, that home range sizes are
large relative to the size of the animal (5-10 ha), and that
the diet of lorises comprises mainly gum, supplemented
with nectar and insects. Several initiatives have been
put into place to conserve slow lorises in the area and
in other parts of Java. National workshops have been
held for law enforcement officers and rescue center
employees to feed essential data into a national slow
loris action plan. At the local level, slow lorises are
totally dependent on local people for their protection,
feeding on human planted tree species and residing in
human farmlands. Thus a major conservation program,
combining empowerment activities, conservation
education and village events, has been launched, and it
is hoped that it can be used as a model for other key
slow loris sites in Indonesia (Nekaris and Starr 2015).
For a long time, slow lorises were thought to be common
throughout Indonesia, and the presence of animals in
trade was believed to be an indicator of their abundance.
We are only beginning to unravel the complexity of
their taxonomy and distribution, leading to an overall
bleak picture. While Java has an impressive and
comprehensive protected area network, encompassing
over 120 terrestrial conservation areas covering some
5,000 km², enforcement of environmental laws and
active protection of forest is lacking in most of these
parks. Besides curbing the illegal trade, it is paramount
that these conservation areas, and indeed all other
remaining forest areas on the island, be effectively
protected.
References
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