India's first Slender Loris Sanctuary to come up in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: The State Environment, Forest and Climate Change department has notified around 12,000 hectares in Karur and Dindigul as sanctuary for Slender Loris, on Wednesday.

As per the State government press release, as much as 11,806 hectares in the central districts will be India's first Slender Loris Sanctuary. The notification has been made after obtaining approval from Chief Minister MK Stalin.

"Slender Loris are small nocturnal mammals. They are arboreal innature, as they spend most of their life on trees. The species acts as abiological predator to pests of agricultural crops and benefits farmers.The species has a wide range of ecological roles and importance to play inthe terrestrial ecosystem," the press release explained.

The release added that the species is listed as an endangered species as per the International Union for the Conservation of Nature(IUCN). The survival of the species depends on its habitat improvement, conservation efforts and mitigation of threats.

"Realising the need for immediate conservation of this species, the Government of Tamil Nadu had made an announcement on the floor of the Assembly that “India’sfirst ever Wildlife Sanctuary for Slender Loris shall be set up in Karur and Dindigul in Tamil Nadu''. Accordingly, the government notified the“Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary” as India’s first Slender LorisSanctuary under Section 26 (A) (1) (b) of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972."

Slender Lorises fall under the order of primates and are native to India and Sri Lanka. They generally feed on insects, reptiles, plant shoots and fruits.The release listed out the efforts taken for the conservation of wildlife. Recently, the government has notified India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve in PalK Bay, Kazhuveli Birds Sanctuary in Villupuram, Agasthiarmalai Elephants Reserve, Nanjarayan Tank Birds Sanctuary in Tirupur apart from announcing thirteen wetlands in the State as Ramsar sites.