Slow loris appeal

Can you help us plant trees for slow lorises?

The Indonesian island of Java is the most deforested and densely populated island in the world. It’s also home to slow lorises, a small, tree-dwelling, highly social primate. But due to their small size, ‘cute’ appearance and folklore, slow lorises are in high demand. Poachers can easily catch slow lorises left exposed by deforestation. They’re then sold as pets, props for tourist photos or killed for medicine.

Together with Professor Anna Nekaris and her team

We’re working with Professor Anna Nekaris’ team in Java to combat the numerous threats slow lorises face. Anna’s team:

• monitor markets and online sites for the sale of slow lorises
• take in slow lorises that have been surrendered
• raise awareness of slow loris suffering to reduce demand
• repair slow loris habitat

I’d like to donate

Benefiting both slow loris and farmer

The underlying problem is the almost wholescale destruction of slow loris habitat. So with our help, Anna’s running a reforestation project to repair forest habitats and provide cover and connectivity for slow lorises.

Anna’s team is talking to locals to get their vital cooperation. Based on their research, they’re now assisting local communities plant native trees and wildlife-friendly fruit crops in existing and new coffee farms. The result will benefit both slow lorises and farmers, so it’s more likely to be sustainable and succeed.

The new trees and crops provide farmers with alternative income, landslide protection, shade for coffee crops and safety against crop failures. And the slow lorises that adapt to live on their land will have more cover, more food and are safer from predators and poachers.

Slow lorises pollinate coffee shade plants and eat larvae and insects that damage coffee crops. This means they are valued and respected by farmers and the farmers can stop using pesticides and register as organic coffee farmers. Organic coffee is growing in popularity in Java – good news for the farmers and even better news for wildlife such as slow lorises.

To be successful in the long term, we need the majority of local farmers to sign up and replant their forest farms. So Anna’s team is holding community meetings to explain the project, discuss issues and set expectations for the farmers. The more farmers who reforest their land, the more protection for slow lorises in Java. This will help them thrive and protect them from the poachers who easily snatch them out of exposed trees. Anna’s work over many years is making a huge difference, which is why we’ve been funding her work since 2007.

Will you help slow lorises with us?

Thank you