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Rescued from Dubai street, nearly extinct Loris finds new home

Dubai - Originating from the depths of Asia, the primate is a CITES 1 animal, which means it is at significant risk of extinction in the wild.

A Slow Loris - a primate on the brink of extinction - has been found in a box on the streets of Dubai. Abandoned and mistreated, the creature was named 'Lonely Loris' when he was taken in by the emirate's popular indoor rainforest, the Green Planet.
When the Loris was found on the streets, the Green Planet teamed up with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) to provide the wide-eyed primate with a new home.
"The Slow Loris is a critically endangered species, meaning they should only be in captivity for breeding purposes, and we are now on a quest through the correct channels to find our Lonely Loris a girlfriend. We are looking at zoo databases globally to find a suitable female candidate," said Paul Parker, general manager of Family Entertainment Centres, which runs the Green Planet.
Originating from the depths of Asia, the primate is a CITES 1 animal, which means it is at significant risk of extinction in the wild, sharing its critical status with African elephants, gorillas and orangutans.
Lonely Loris' rescue puts the spotlight back on the illicit animal trade in the region, the Green Planet said in a statement.
Adopting a zero-tolerance approach to illegal wildlife trafficking, the UAE government recently clamped down on online animal trading, and has strengthened security on the country's land, sea and air borders. It also ramped up efforts to raise awareness about the importance of ensuring that wild animals remain in the wild.
Hiba Al Shehhi, acting director of the biodiversity department at the MoCCAE, said: "We are confident that our actions are making an impact on illegal wildlife trade in the region. We have strict controls in place to curb the trade, however, we believe awareness needs to be at the front and centre.
"We are happy that this Slow Loris was lucky enough to have been found and taken care of at the Green Planet. We hope his story can help educate the community and paint a clearer picture of the dangers of illegal wildlife trade."
Lonely Loris shares the Green Planet with 3,000 other animals and plants, and visitors are welcome to watch him go about his day at the indoor rainforest. An on-site biologist will be helping him out with his daily "enrichment activities".
reporters@khaleejtimes.com