First Sanctuary for 'Slender Loris' to be set up in Tamil Nadu

Tags: Science and Technology State News

India’s first sanctuary for the endangered species, Slender Loris was notified by the Tamil Nadu government on 12 October 2022. The first 'Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary' in will be set up in the Karur and Dindigul districts of the state, in about 11,806 hectares of land.

Slender Loris 

Slender Loris are small nocturnal mammals that are arboreal in nature as they spend most of their life on trees. These look like monkeys and are about 25 cm long and have long, thin arms. They weigh around 275 grams. They are mainly found in India and Sri Lanka.

Apart from insects they are also known to eat leaves, flowers, slugs and sometimes eggs of birds. The species acts as a biological predator of pests in agricultural crops and benefits farmers. The nocturnal mammal is listed as an endangered species as per the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUNC).

Sanctuary for Slender Loris 

A total of 11,806 hectares of forest areas in the Karur and Dindigul districts of Tamil Nadu have been identified as important habitats for Slender Loris. The Kadavur Slender Loris sanctuary will cover Vedasandur, Dindigul East, and Natham taluks in the Dindigul district and Kadavur taluk in the Karur district of Tamil Nadu.