BALIJAN, 14 Apr: A female Bengal slow loris – an endangered nocturnal primate – was rescued on Sunday by the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union’s women’s wing convener Techi Tannu from Balijan.
Tannu spotted the animal crossing the road and immediately intervened to ensure its safety. The rescued animal was later handed over to the Itanagar Zoological Park, where it will be provided with a safe and natural habitat.
The Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) – a nocturnal
primate listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List – faces major threats from habitat loss, hunting, and illegal wildlife trade. It is often targeted for the exotic pet market and traditional medicine. Its body parts are falsely believed to cure various ailments, and it is even consumed as food in some regions. As a result, wild populations have declined drastically and the species has become locally extinct in several areas.
Tannu expressed concern over the endangered wildlife and environment. “This is not the first time I’ve rescued a wild animal. Earlier, I had rescued an endangered snake and a monkey,” she said.
She urged the public to protect animals rather than hunting them, and appealed for creating greater awareness on preserving the ecological balance.
Officials at the Itanagar Biological Park expressed appreciation for Tannu and urged citizens to follow her example. “If you find a wild or endangered animal, please inform the authorities concerned or hand it over to the zoo. Every small effort counts in conserving our biodiversity,” a zoo official said.
