Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary in Tamilnadu is India’s first Slender Loris Wildlife Sanctuary. Slender Loris is the primate that is closest to humanity. These animals are known as Kutti Thevangu in Tamil and Malayalam languages.

Some Interesting Facts about Slender Loris

Slender Loris never sit facing the sun. That is they sit facing west till noon and then sit facing east in the afternoon. Hence they were taken in ships to find out the direction in olden days.

They put their hands into Weaver ant colonies and eat their eggs. Naturally, the ants attack Slender Loris. Slender Loris then make a frighting noise, to scare away the Weaver ants.

They byte you, if you catch them. It feels like needle pricking. Hence, if forest department people or others, who need to catch them and transfer to safe places, use a cloth piece to catch them, to avoid the byte.

More on Slender Loris & the Sanctuary

This Slender Loris Sanctuary has an area of 11,806 hectares in the Karur and Dindigul districts of Tamilnadu state in India.

These animals are native to India and Sri Lanka. They come in two colors: Grey and Red. Gray Slender Loris is there in India and Sri Lanka, whereas Red Slender Loris is there only in Sri Lanka.

Slender Loris is a nocturnal mammal and is small in size. They have a lifespan of around 15 years. Slender Loris are active at night and sleep in the daytime. They are arboreal, meaning they live on trees. These small animals travel along the tree tops, like monkeys.

Insects, reptiles, fruits, and plant shoots are the main food for these animals. As they eat insects, they act as a biological predator of pests. Hence, farmers get better crop yields. With their wide-ranging ecological roles, they actively contribute to maintaining the terrestrial ecosystem.

Slender Loris is an endangered species as declared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN. The estimated number of these mammals in Tamilnadu state is around 5000.

Superstition is a major threat faced by these mammals. There is the misunderstanding that their meat is good for eyesight. Also, hunters believe that see these animals first when going out for hunting, makes their hunting a futile exercise. Hence, they kill them.

Several locals believe that if pregnant women see the loris during their pregnancy, their newborn would resemble the loris. And so, they kill these animals.

The forest department has roped in the district forest officers and collectors to spread awareness among the locals.

As part of its conservation efforts, the Tamilnadu government has declared this habitat area a wildlife sanctuary to help improve their habitat. Let us hope that this wildlife sanctuary and the associated awareness help mitigate the threat towards this small endangered species.

Gazette Notification on Slender Loris Sanctuary

https://www.thequint.com/photos/dugong-slender-loris-conservation-tamil-nadu-lead-india-wildlife-reserve-endangered

Though the state government announced its intention to set up this wildlife sanctuary in April 2022, the actual government notification was issued today, 12th October 2022. An Extraordinary Gazette notification has details of this.

Note: It’s noteworthy that India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve is also in Tamil Nadu. It has an area of 448 square kilometers in Palk Bay in the Thanjavur and Pudukkotai districts.

Entry Gates, Website, Timings of the Sanctuary

As a new sanctuary, details like the entry gates, official website, contact telephone or email, entry fees, entry timings, etc., are unavailable.