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

Abstract

The present study provides data collected during rescue operations involving Bengal slow loris Nycticebus bengalensis which were carried out opportunistically in and around Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, India. A total of 27 individuals consisting of 21 males and 6 females were rescued from the study sites; 81% of these were adult and 19% sub-adult. Of the 27 individuals, 12 were rescued from private gardens. All rescued individuals were kept under observation in the Biological Park zoo situated within the sanctuary, where they received the necessary treatment, and were then released to the wild in the sanctuary. Various anthropogenic threats were recorded in the study; these included illegal logging, firewood collection, forest fires and habitat encroachment to enable the traditional practice of shifting cultivation, and infrastructural developmental activities. The present study highlights factors impeding the conservation of slow loris in and around the sanctuary. FREE REE

Inventory of mammals in protected reserves and natural habitats of Tripura, northeast India with notes on existing threats and new records of Large Footed Mouse-eared Bat and Greater False Vampire Bat

“…Forest fires for shifting cultivation by native people result in rapid destruction of the natural habitats and niches. Significant decline in population size of N. bengalensis in Arunachal Pradesh in last two decades has been attributed to the prevalent shifting cultivation among the native peoples of that state (Kumar et al 2014). Rubber plantations is another threat from mono-cultivation habitat in forested areas which is expanding at an alarming rate in Tripura and has already encroached the natural habitats of wild animals (Anonymous 2010(Anonymous -2011Ray et al 2014).…”

Unmonitored releases of small animals? The importance of considering natural dispersal, health, and human habituation when releasing a territorial mammal threatened by wildlife trade

“…Small research centers and non-governmental organizations in developing countries often receive animals brought in by villagers or law authorities and do not have the infrastructure to keep them (Cuarón 1997, Cuarón 2005, Agoramoorthy & Hsu 2007, Nijman et al 2009, Kenyon et al 2015. These animals are often former pets or wild animals adapted to live in human-modified habitats that people perceive as forest animals (Kumar et al 2014). As a result, they are subject to unmonitored releases (Dodd Jr & Seigel 1991;Agoramoorthy & Hsu 2007;Moore et al 2014;Kumar et al 2014;van der Sandt, 2017;Beck 2019).…”

“…These animals are often former pets or wild animals adapted to live in human-modified habitats that people perceive as forest animals (Kumar et al 2014). As a result, they are subject to unmonitored releases (Dodd Jr & Seigel 1991;Agoramoorthy & Hsu 2007;Moore et al 2014;Kumar et al 2014;van der Sandt, 2017;Beck 2019).…”

“…Furthermore, traders may cut their teeth to prevent venomous bites, which has implications for feeding on their main food resources -exudates, which they must gouge from trees (Nekaris & Starr 2015). Slow lorises, despite being highly territorial and threatened by wildlife trade, are frequently subjected to unmonitored releases (Kumar et al 2014). We collected data on translocated and natally dispersing animals and predicted that health state and human habituation would have been significant factors in determining animal survival and success in settling in a stable area.…”

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

“…In both cases, at the time of the study, no data were available from wild populations of the species that were released, one of the most important suggestions made by the IUCN when releasing an animal to the wild. In northeast India, Kumar et al (2014, this Theme Section) provide >15 yr of data of Bengal slow lorises confiscated from private gardens or from private owners. Their study shows that it is vital to understand the distribution of wild slow lorises.…”