Falling Fast For Slow Loris

This week, Petside.com's fantabulous blogger, Jo Singer, wrote a post about one of the strangest and most unique primates in the world, the Aye-Aye.

Although cute in its own way, I don't necessarily connect with the Aye-Aye--Heck, it's nocturnal and I can't stay awake later than 10pm. It also has a bony, super-long middle finger, which creeps me out (I'm just being honest). But, Jo's post about these endangered critters did re-connect me with one of my favorite animals, and YouTube videos, ever--the Slow Loris.

When I first saw this video, I didn't have a clue what a Slow Loris was, but I did know it was adorable! With their round, thoughtful eyes and slow, deliberate movements you just may fall in love with them, too.

Of course, I shared the video on Facebook and Googled the furballs the second I watched the vid.

Maybe this could be another little guy to add to my entourage?

The Slow Loris is found in Asia, China, India and Indonesia and live in tropical forests and bamboo groves. Like the Aye-Aye, the Slow Loris is nocturnal, sleeping curled up in a ball during the day. They eat lizards, bird eggs, fruits and insects and have a mighty grip for such a small mammal.

They also have one great defense mechanism--They give off a toxin and bite their prey.

This all sounds ok (except the toxin part). I'll just give up my beauty sleep, turn my bathroom into a sauna and steam room, and place him on a vegetarian diet (I couldn't handle feeding it a lizard!).

Lovely! When's my trip to China to pick one up?!

Yeah, right. Never would I ever take one of these animals out of their natural habitat.

Slow lorises are protected by law in Indonesia and Cambodia and have also been banned from international trafficking by the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), according to Associated Content.

Still, people are capturing and selling them illegally. According to BBC news, sellers pull out the Slow Loris' teeth with pliers and keep them in wire cages, which cut up their hands and feet. Thirty to 90 percent of the animals die in transit.

It's unsafe and cruel to take these animals from nature. Sure, the look in their eyes say "cuddle me", but the price these poor creatures pay is much too high.