Wide-eyed slow loris staring at caretaker is heartmelting

A baby slow loris named Pasar was recently rescued from the cruel reality of the wildlife trade on the streets of Jakarta, Indonesia.

At less than two months old, the tiny wide-eyed primate was taken out of the wild shoved into a box with others and then transported to an animal market.

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On top of that, Pasar had his canine teeth ground down to make him defenceless.

This typical form of torture frequently results in death.


See also: Baby rhino rescued after being abandoned by its mother

But Pasar chose life, hanging on until Indonesian authorities carried out a raid and rescued the animals from the market where they were being sold.

He's currently being cared for by International Animal Rescue along with four other lorises.

A spokesman from International Animal Rescue said: "All five lorises were brought to our centre in Ciapus, near Bogor, about four hours' drive from Jakarta. On arrival the lorises were taken straight to the veterinary clinic and received immediate treatment from our medical team. The slow lorises were in a serious condition. The adults were dehydrated, their teeth had been clipped out and their mouths were bleeding and infected. One female was pregnant. The babies Pasar and Warung were severely traumatised and constantly crying out for their mothers.

"Tragically, because of the damage to their teeth, it is unlikely that any of the adults will ever return to the wild. But the babies still stand a chance of returning to their home in the forest. Once they have completed their time in quarantine, their rehabilitation can begin.

"Only time will tell whether Pasar and his friend will recover sufficiently from the physical and mental trauma they have suffered to fend for themselves back in the wild."

The four traders who were selling these particular lorises were all arrested.

Help Pasar and other lorises like him by clicking here.

Slow lorises are a group of several species of nocturnal primates. Found in Southeast Asia and bordering areas, they range from Bangladesh and Northeast India in the west to the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines in the east, and from Yunnan province in China in the north to the island of Java in the south.

Their only documented predators - apart from humans - include snakes, changeable hawk-eagles and orangutans, although cats, civets and sun bears are suspected. However, the greatest threat to the survival of this delightful little primate is the illegal pet trade.

Slow lorises reproduce slowly, and the infants are initially parked on branches or carried by either parent. They are omnivores, eating small animals, fruit, tree gum, and other vegetation.

Each of the slow loris species that had been identified prior to 2012 is listed as either "Vulnerable" or "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List.