Releasing rescued slow lorises back into the forest sounds like a happy ending. But a new study from Bangladesh shows that for most of these small primates, freedom is short lived.
Researchers in Bangladesh tracked nine Bengal slow lorises after they were confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade and released into protected forests. Eight of them died within weeks. Only one survived longer than a month.
A radio collar reveals what happens after release
Scientists from the University of Dhaka and the Bangladesh Forest Department fitted each loris with a radio collar before release. They followed the animals in two protected areas: Satchari National Park and Rema Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary.
The lorises had been kept in captivity by traders or pet owners before being rescued. After release, the animals faced threats they had never learned to handle. Some were killed by predators. Others could not find enough food. A few appeared to have died from stress or injury related to their time in captivity.
Local communities watch a quiet crisis unfold
People living near the parks knew the lorises were there. Some had seen them in the wild before. But few realized how badly the rescued animals were faring. The study’s lead author, a wildlife biologist at the University of Dhaka, said the results were worse than expected.
Bangladesh is one of the few countries where Bengal slow lorises still survive in the wild. The species is listed as endangered. Habitat loss and the pet trade have pushed them close to local extinction. For villagers and conservation officers who helped with the rescues, the high death rate was a painful surprise.
What the survival numbers actually mean
The study tracked the lorises for up to three months. Most died in the first two weeks. Predation was the leading cause of death. The lorises moved slowly and often slept in exposed branches, making them easy targets for civets, snakes, and birds of prey.
Captive lorises also lacked the skills to find traditional food sources. In the wild, they eat gum, nectar, and insects. Rescued animals sometimes ignored these foods and lost weight rapidly. One loris was hit by a vehicle on a road that cut through the sanctuary.
The single survivor adapted well. It found food, avoided predators, and moved through the forest at night. But researchers caution that one success does not mean the method works.
A closer look at rescue and release
Wildlife rescue operations in Bangladesh have grown in recent years. Confiscated animals are often released quickly to avoid long stays in crowded shelters. The study suggests that without preparation, release may do more harm than good.
The researchers recommend a period of prerelease training. Lorises could be kept in large outdoor enclosures where they can practice climbing, foraging, and avoiding threats before facing the real forest. They also suggest releasing animals in groups rather than alone, since slow lorises are social and may learn from each other.
For now, the study offers a sobering measure of how hard it is to undo the damage of the wildlife trade. The lorises were saved from one danger only to face another. Their fate is not unique to Bangladesh. Similar problems have been reported in Indonesia and Vietnam, where slow lorises are also trafficked and released with little follow up.
The radio collars eventually stopped transmitting. The last signal came from a loris that had been alive for 37 days. Then the forest went quiet.
