A slow loris has been rescued in Madhabpur, Habiganj. It was rescued on Tuesday (19 April) from Kamalpur village near the border in the upazila, and was handed over to the wildlife conservation department on Thursday (21 April).

Mozahid Mosi, district president of Pakhipremi Society, said people in Kamalpur village caught the animal and kept it in a cage, but it escaped at night. It was caught again the same night, soaked by rain, and was then handed over to forest department staff.

Forest department range officer Tofayel Ahmed Chowdhury said: "The rescued slow loris is very rare. Though it looks harmless, it is a highly venomous and dangerous mammal."

He said: "The loris is still sick and is being treated. Once it recovers, it will be released in Satchhari National Park."

The slow loris, known in Bengali as lojjaboti banor, is a primate species of the family Lorisidae. It prefers to live on high tree branches. In Bangladesh it is seen only rarely in hill evergreen forests, though it has also been found in moist deciduous forests.

The slow loris is listed as a threatened animal on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The species is also protected under Bangladesh's Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Acts of 1974 and 2012.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.