An endangered slow loris rescued from a residential area in Matiranga, Khagrachhari, has been released into the forest.

The animal was released at the herbal garden of the Matiranga range officer's office in the evening of Monday, 29 January. Range officer Ataur Rahman Laskar, Matiranga range forester Touhidur Rahman Liton, and forest guards Akkas Ali and Firoz Shah Manik were among those present.

Earlier, around midday, the slow loris had been rescued from Belchhari Punjabi Tila in the Matiranga range.

Confirming this, range officer Ataur Rahman Laskar said a woman from the Punjabi Tila area saw the slow loris near homes while collecting firewood. She informed the local forest official, and officials of the Matiranga forest office came and rescued it. It was then released at the Forest Department's herbal garden.

Khagrachhari divisional forest officer Farid Mia said that as forests and trees are cleared, slow lorises often come out to residential areas in search of food, are caught by local people and die. To protect these wild animals, the environment must be protected and local people must also be made aware.

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