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Saving the shy slow loris
MINTU DESHWARA, Moulvibazar
Plumporis Ev, a Germany-based voluntary organisation, is working actively to preserve the endangered Bengal slow loris, locally known as “Lajjabati Banor” in Moulvibazar.
A timid arboreal creature, these animals are usually found in the Lawachhara National Park in Moulvibazar and various regions of the Chattogram Hill Tracts.
According to the organisation, a team sets off to rescue these nocturnal animals, who are often electrocuted when they come near human settlements. The injured ones are then brought to the Janakichhara Wild Animal Rescue Centre, located in the park, where they receive necessary treatments.
The initiatives are jointly carried out with wildlife management and nature conservation wings under the forest department.
“Locals inform us of the injured animals, and we rush to the spot. People were not keen on reporting such injuries earlier. But they have become aware now and work alongside us to protect these animals,” said Azizul Hakim Abir, deputy manager of the organisation.
Since January 2022, the initiative has rescued 23 such loris, 15 of which have already been released in the park after treatment.
The first one named Himu was released on October 20, 2022 while Lallu, the last one, was released on June 17 this year.
Radio collars are put on the animals before releasing them, mentioned Abir.
A radio collar is a wide band of machine-belting fitted with a small radio transmitter and battery. The transmitter emits a signal at a specific frequency that can be tracked from up to 5km away.
“The collars let us observe, study and record their behaviour, movement patterns, and feeding habits,” he added.
Two of the rescued animals died, while six others are currently being rehabilitated by the organisation. Of them, five were rescued from various tea-estates in Sreemangal while one was recovered from Habiganj.
They are waiting to release these animals in the park as soon as they are healthy again.
“We rescued Luna on July 18, 2022, from a tea garden. She had a broken leg and many other injuries caused by electrocution. Luna is now doing better, and we plan to release her soon,” said Abir.
“We regularly monitor the weight of these animals, as weight gain usually means recovery. A female loris is released if it weighs at least 800 grammes. A healthy male loris weighs a little more, around 900 grammes,” he shared.
Though these shy animals prefer living on tall trees located away from human settlements, the organisation releases their rescues near the centre initially to help them adapt to their new life better.
It also reduces the chances of internal conflicts or fights between their community as they are territorial, the deputy manager further mentioned.
“The organisation members are conducting studies to know more about this animal. We don’t know much about these species, so they are better off in Plumporis Ev’s care,” said Jahangir Alam, divisional forest officer.