The Bangka slow loris, a venomous primate last officially documented by scientists in the 1930s, is still surviving in the wild, according to a new study published in October in the journal Spixiana. The findings draw on records from a wildlife rescue center on Indonesia’s Bangka Island, where the species was once considered possibly extinct.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature classified the loris as critically endangered and possibly extinct in 2015. Researchers behind the study say the new evidence supports formally reassessing that status and removing the “possibly extinct” designation.
The Alobi Wildlife Rescue Center recorded more than 90 Bangka slow lorises rescued between 2015 and 2025; 86 were later released. The animals were found in places including homes, gardens, roads and palm oil plantations. Some were rescued from captivity or the wildlife trade, while others had been injured by electrical burns, fences or dogs. Since 2021, the center has rescued 43 lorises from locations across the island, including its largest city, Pangkalpinang.
The nocturnal species is native to Bangka and southwestern Borneo. It has large eyes, reddish-brown fur and a venomous bite: the loris combines a secretion from glands on its upper arms with proteins in its saliva, then transfers the venom to its specialized front teeth.
Despite evidence that it remains widespread on Bangka, the species faces serious risks. Its forest habitat fell by 62 percent between 2000 and 2012, largely due to illegal tin mining and land clearing for palm oil plantations. Settlements, roads and power lines also threaten its habitat and survival.
The researchers recommend stronger protection for remaining forests, a conservation breeding program, population and genetic studies, and monitoring of animals after their release. They say the rescue center’s records helped reveal that the loris had persisted in the wild despite decades without scientific documentation.
Sources: Smithsonian Magazine.