Status of Bengal Slow Loris Nycticebus bengalensis (Primates: Lorisidae) in Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, India

Abstract

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Population Survey of the Bengal Slow Loris,Nycticebus bengalensis,in Meghalaya, Northeast India

“…It would appear, however, that the species is generally present in very low densities. That this is not an artefact of the sampling methodology is borne -eastern states of Tripura and Assam, using similar methodology, have resulted in low/nil encounter rates in many sites but high encounter rates in others (Radhakrishna et al 2006;Swapna et al 2008;Das et al 2009). Nekaris and Nijman (2007) reported that encounter rates for Nycticebus bengalensis are 5-15 times lower than for Nycticebus coucang; the results of this survey underline the need to investigate in more detail the factors affecting slow loris abundance in different parts of northeastern India.…”

OVERVIEW: Conservation and ecology of the neglected slow loris: priorities and prospects

“…Since then, numerous research groups have published their survey results, including results from India (Radhakrishna et al 2006, Das et al 2009, Nandini et al 2009), Thailand (Pliosungnoen et al 2010) and Cambodia (Starr et al 2010a,b, Coudrat et al 2011. Most of these surveys cover only single sites or a small number of sites within a restricted part of each respective species' range, thus leaving gaps in our knowledge of their dis tribution.…”

Threats to the Bengal slow loris Nycticebus bengalensis in and around Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, India: impediments to conservation

“…In India, the species is confined to the 7 northeastern states (Choudhury 1992, Srivastava 1999, BrandonJones et al 2004, Radhakrishna et al 2006, Swapna et al 2008, Das et al 2009, Nandini et al 2009, Kumar & Devi 2010 and is reported to occur in tropical, subtropical evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests (Choudhury 2001, Swapna et al 2008. Habitat destruction and disturbance due to shifting cultivation, en croachment, selective logging, road kills, bushmeat hunting and forest fire have been reported as major threats to the slow loris population in northeast India (Choudhury 1992, Srivastava 1999, Radhakrishna et al 2006, Kumar & Devi 2010.…”

“…However, more data are needed to determine the full extent to which the species is affected by such disturbances. Only a few field studies (Mishra et al 2006, Radhakrishna et al 2006, Swapna et al 2008, Biswas et al 2009, Das et al 2009) have been conducted in the last decade in northeast India which confirm the presence of Bengal slow lorises in disturbed (fragmented) and undisturbed habitats and also highlight the conservation issues.…”

“…Bengal slow loris populations have been declining due to escalating habitat destruction in the form of shifting cultivation, the construction of roads, houses, hydro-electric dams, development of orchards, anthropogenic forest fires, hunting, road accidents, and the medicinal and pet trades (Wolfheim 1983, Srivastava 1999, Srivastava & Mohnot 2001, Radhakrishna et al 2006, Nekaris & Bearder 2007, Nekaris et al 2008, Das et al 2009, Kumar & Devi 2010. Hunting and deforestation have been reported as the 2 prime threats to the continued existence of the species (Choudhury 1992, Srivastava 1999.…”