Video: Indian couple rescues endangered slow loris in UAE

The loris found in Umm Al Quwain was rescued by Indian couple Amal and Naima Suresh.- Photo by Dhanusha Gokulan

An abandoned slow loris, rescued by an Indian couple in Umm Al Quwain, is currently looking for a new home.
This is the second incident where the critically endangered primate from Java, Indonesia, was found roaming on the streets of the UAE. Earlier last month, a male slow loris was rehomed at the Green Planet, Dubai's indoor rainforest. These doe-eyed lorises are thought to have been illegally trafficked into the country.
The loris found in Umm Al Quwain was rescued by Indian couple Amal and Naima Suresh, who then contacted Khaleej Times after realising that it is an endangered species. KT reached out to the officials of the Green Planet, who have said they would intervene to help the animal immediately.
According to sources, the animal will be taken to a veterinary clinic that has been approved by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and it will be kept there for an interim period till the ministry decides where to rehome the animal.
Rescuing the loris
When the UAQ-based homemaker, Naima, saw the little primate climbing outside the balcony on the third floor of her apartment building, she assumed it was a neighbour's pet.
"I thought it was a cat. My husband and I have been seeing it in the corridors of our building over the last couple of days. However, as days passed, we saw that it was getting weaker," Naima said.
After running a search on the Internet, Amal, a businessman, realised that the animal is a slow loris and it is critically endangered.
In 2007, the slow loris was listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), prohibiting international commercial trade of the creature.
"We went up to the terrace where it was resting and tried to bring it down to our apartment. However, it was very weak and looked dehydrated," said Naima.
"It was scorching hot, and that may have caused its exhaustion. At first, the animal tried to bite my husband, but then we offered it a banana, and it extended its hand and took the banana. After which, it became more receptive to our calls."
The primate eventually followed the couple down to their apartment and started enjoying rice balls, apples and milk.
"It doesn't like water. It enjoys having milk, instead," said Naima. The couple is unaware as to whether the animal is a male or a female, and its age is also unknown to them.
The animal is also playful, according to Naima. It sleeps throughout the day and wakes up at 6:00pm.
"We will take it to the veterinary clinic tomorrow (Thursday). It will be checked by a doctor, and we are hoping it will be homed along with the other slow loris that was found abandoned some time ago," Naima said.
When the last loris was found abandoned, Green Planet teamed up with the MoCCAE to provide the wide-eyed primate with a new home. The rescue of 'Lonely Loris' has put 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 government recently clamped down on online animal trading and strengthened the 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 in an earlier statement to the media: "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."
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Umm Al Quwain

Dhanusha Gokulan

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com