Tickling Slow Lorises

Being a rock climber myself, I am often being called a slow loris because of the way I climb. Slow and steady, taking my time on the climbing wall - quite different from most climbers. This sparked my interest in the actual animal slow loris.

There have been pictures and videos on social media showing how slow lorises raise their arms in the air when they are being tickled and these "cute" character of slow lorises caused an increase in demand in the pet trade industry. As with all pet trade industries, the poor animals are often being bred intentionally and live in horrible conditions when being transported from place to place.

The act of these slow lorises raising their arms in the air is actually part of their defense in which they are accessing a venomous gland in their elbows (The Dodo, 2015). They actually have a strong defense mechanism, which is a venomous bite. However, their teeth are being removed brutally without anesthesia by their captors, leaving them defenseless.

Watch this video by the International Animal Rescue (IAR) on their campaign - Tickling Is Torture.

The truth behind the slow loris pet trade (International Animal Rescue, 2015).

To make a difference in these slow lorises lives and learn more about the situation, visit this website.

Thanks for reading!

References:

International Animal Rescue, (2015). The truth behind the slow loris pet trade. [video] Available at: https://youtu.be/otTNxR8C4uE [Accessed 22 Oct. 2015].

The Dodo, (2015). The Truth Behind Those Cute Loris Videos Isn't As Happy As You Think. [online] Available at: https://www.thedodo.com/slow-loris-tickling-is-torture-1225870435.html [Accessed 22 Oct. 2015].