A mysterious primate, so rare that it was once believed to be extinct, has just been photographed by Zoological Society of London researchers and their team in Sri Lanka.
You are among the first people on Earth to set eyes on the Horton Plains slender loris (Loris tardigradus nycticeboides).
(All images © C Mahanayakage)
The photos were snapped in the montane forests of central Sri Lanka, where the slender loris resides. This primate has only been seen four times since 1937. It was completely missing in action from 1939 to 2002, leading to the belief that it had gone extinct.
Scientists traveled over a mile for some 200 hours looking specifically for this very elusive, wide-eyed species.
The images reveal information about the animal that had never been known before. For example, we now can see that it has shorter and sturdier limbs than any other loris found in Sri Lanka and southern India. They must help the mammal to survive in the cool montane forest.
ZSL Conservation biologist Dr. Craig Turner said: “We are thrilled to have captured the first ever photographs and prove its continued existence – especially after its 65 year disappearing act. This is the first time we have been able to conduct such a close examination of the Horton Plains slender loris."
“The discovery improves our knowledge of this species, but we need to focus our efforts on the conservation and restoration of the remaining montane forest where this species still exists. Currently this accounts for less than one per-cent of the land area of Sri Lanka.”
Research leader Saman Gamage added: “This discovery is a great reward for the ongoing field research we undertake across much of south-western Sri Lanka.
“Nearly 1,000 nocturnal surveys have been completed in 120 different forest areas looking for all loris species to assess their status, ecological needs and current threats. We are now conducting further studies to establish whether the Horton Plains slender loris could even be a species in its own right.”
You can find out more about the Slender Loris on the EDGE of Existence website
Tags: Animals, Extinction Cycles, Mammals, Photography, Primates
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