Endangered slender loris spotted outside protected forest in South Goa

Panaji: The elusive endangered primate, slender loris, was sighted outside a protected forest area in South Goa after it was photographed by president of the Goa Bird Conservation Network (GBCN) Omkar Dharwadkar, at an undisclosed location.The small, arboreal primate, known for its large eyes and nocturnal lifestyle, is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, making hunting, poaching, or trading it a punishable offence. Dharwadkar said it faces threats such as habitat degradation and wildlife trafficking.“While sightings outside protected areas are not very common, they are not unusual if there is a continuous forest tract connecting these areas. The species can move across such landscapes, and its presence indicates the importance of maintaining forest connectivity,” said conservator of forests, wildlife and ecotourism, Naveen Kumar.Deputy conservator of forests, Jiss Varkey said, “The slender loris is widely considered an indicator species for forest health and ecosystem integrity. Because of their specific ecological needs, their presence or absence reveals a lot about forest health. They are highly sensitive to habitat fragmentation, deforestation, and human disturbances. If a forest is degrading, the loris population is usually the first to decline. Therefore, presence of slender loris is a good indicator of a healthy forest ecosystem.”The latest sighting occurred at night, which is consistent with the species’ natural behaviour.“Nobody really knows the population status,” Dharwadkar said. “There has been very little work done on the species because studying it is difficult. It requires night-time surveys and obtaining permissions to work inside forests.”“The most important thing for its conservation is maintaining connectivity in the forest canopy. The trees need to remain connected because that is how the animal travels,” he added.