Forest Mobile Squad rescues two endangered Slender Lorises

Three arrested 

Mysuru/Mysore: The Mysuru Forest Mobile Squad personnel have arrested three persons who were trying to sell  the endangered Slender Loris, which are on the verge of extinction and rescued two live Slender Lorises from them.

The arrested are Kiran, a resident of Hemmaragala in Nanjangud taluk, Manohar of Chamarajanagar and Siddaraju, a resident of Ranganathapura in T. Narasipur taluk. They accused were arrested while they were attempting to sell the endangered animals on T. Narasipur-Tayur Road.

The accused were produced before T. Narasipur Court. Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Manohar, In-charge Range Forest Officer (RFO) Lakshmish, Deputy RFO Sundar, Forest Guards Satish, Kotresh Naik, Sharanappa, Mahantesh, Govinda, Channabasavaiah and others took part in the nabbing and rescue operation.

Slender Loris on hitlist of Poachers 

Slender Lorises are little known primates found in Southern States of India, especially in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. Now experts fear that the species is under threat from poachers who are killing them in hundreds.

Slender Lorises are the cousins of Slow Lorises found in North Eastern State of Assam. The primates do not have prominent monkey like features though they are arboreal in nature. They eat fruits, small insects, bats and even small animals if they can hunt them.

According to wildlife groups, these primates are found in Huliyaldurga, Kunigal, Devarayanadurga, Chamarajanagar, some areas of Bengaluru Rural, Mysuru, Maddur, Ramanagaram and Kolar among other few places in Karnataka.

It is the eyes of the Loris that is most attractive and are hence primarily targeted by poachers. There is a lucrative market for Lorises in Thailand and other South Asian countries. Animals caught in the jungles of Karnataka are therefore illegally trafficked to these parts.

Several superstitious beliefs too revolve around the Slender Loris. People use it for black magic and relish its meat and eyes  for its curative properties. Its skin is used in making handbags and expensive purses.