Lanka Sites

Once believed to be extinct for 60 years, a loris [Sin:Unahapuluwa] sub species from the upper montane rainforest, was rediscovered by a team of local researchers working with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). The Horton Plains slender loris, found only in Sri Lanka, was sighted and photographed by a group of researchers. Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka Researcher Kelum Manamendra Arachchi told The Island yesterday that a specimen of the species had been spotted fleetingly in2002 when a light shone in its eyes and was reflected.

Researchers have now managed to get the world's first pictures of the animal. He said that after renowned naturalist W. W. H. Philips sighted the animal in the early 1950’s, this species had not been sighted. He said that the Horton Plains National Park was a thick jungle and observations at nights were very limited. "However, I strongly believe there is sufficient population of the species. But they are not going to be easy to sight in that environment." Meanwhile, The Island learns nearly 1,000 night surveys were carried out in 120 forested regions by researchers working in partnership with the ZSL.

The loris was found in half a dozen regions and researchers managed to capture three live specimens long enough to measure them. The prime reason for the animal's rarity is the loss of its natural forest habitat, which has been largely destroyed by the drive to create tea plantations. The loss of land to other crops was also a contributory factor. Estimates suggest that there are only 100 of them left, and they are placed among the world's top five most threatened primates. However, some say that so little is known about the animal that numbers could even be below 60 which would make it the rarest species.

Dr. Craig Turner of ZSL said: "There's been a lot of loss of habitat historically. Forest covered much of the south-west area of Sri Lanka, but it's been cleared for agriculture and tea estates. More recently they've been cleared for firewood collection. We are now left with a very few islands of forest that aren't connected. Because they [lorises] are so rare and because for many years they were thought to be extinct, virtually nothing is known about them.

@ The Island : By Ifham Nizam