The sexes of the rare pygmy slow loris twins at DierenPark Amersfoort is known. They’re boys! The brothers, who were born in May, are healthy and are increasingly leaving their mother's side. Now that they are a bit older, the babies have had their first training days. “They receive kennel and scale training. Through these voluntary training courses, we prepare the young for transport and we keep an eye on their health," says animal caretaker Paul Rodewijk.

The Primate, Cat & Aquatics Building at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is home to some pretty amazing creatures, especially the unique prosimians housed in the building's nocturnal wing.

One of the exhibits is home to Pygmy Slow Lorises, and one of the newest residents is a baby weighing just 130 grams. The baby loris, whose gender has yet to be determined, was born on May 18 to mom Tevy (12), and dad Tai (9). 

Photo Credits: Kyle Lanzer/Cleveland Metroparks

"Having a baby Pygmy Slow Loris is a pretty significant occurrence," said Executive Zoo Director Dr. Chris Kuhar. "There are only 21 AZA accredited facilities in the entire U.S. where this type of loris can be seen on exhibit. We're extremely proud of our zoological programs staff for the care they give these rare animals. This is our seventh successful Pygmy Slow Loris birth since 1998."

The mother has been in Cleveland since 2013, and the father arrived in 2011. The baby brings the Zoo's number of Pygmy Slow Lorises up to six.

The Pygmy Slow Loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) is a member of the prosimian family, which are generally small, mostly nocturnal primates that are not quite monkeys or apes. This family also includes: lemurs, tarsiers, pottos and the aye-aye. Pygmy Slow Lorises are native to the forests and bamboo groves of Southeast Asia, including Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Adults can grow up to 8 inches long and weigh only 12 ounces.

The Pygmy Slow Loris is classified as "Vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Zoo participates in the Pygmy Slow Loris Species Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Species Survival Plans are cooperative breeding and management groups for endangered or threatened species. SSPs identify population management goals and make recommendations to ensure the sustainability of a healthy, genetically diverse and demographically varied population. The new loris baby is a very significant birth as there are only 61 Pygmy Slow Lorises in North American zoos.

All eight species of Slow Loris are threatened by exploitation for the pet and tourist photo prop trades, traditional medicine, and habitat loss. In partnership with field conservation partner Dr. Anna Nekaris and the Little Fireface Project, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo protects Slow Lorises by studying their ecology to inform conservation measures and conducting education and awareness program aimed at addressing the trade in Slow Lorises.

The El Paso Zoo is excited to announce the birth of twin Pygmy Slow Lorises!  

Photo Credits: El Paso Zoo

The tiny, nocturnal primates were born August 22^nd to mother, Kym Ly and father, Steven Tyler. They are the second set of Pygmy Slow Loris twins born at El Paso Zoo. Their older siblings, Meka and Malia, were born in April of last year.

The yet-to-be-named duo had their first medical exam, recently. The male weighed in at 52.4 grams and his sister, a petite 43.5 grams. Holding them in your hand, they would each feel about the heft of a small lime!

Area Supervisor, Rachel Alvarez, said, “We are excited about the birth of this second set of twins. It’s difficult to breed Slow Lorises, and it’s taken a lot of work from our staff to have these successful births. Through our work with Kym Ly, we have been able to help her become a confident and cooperative mother.”

The births are part of a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), to aid in the species’ conservation. The exhibit is currently blocked off to allow mom and twins to bond. They are expected to be on exhibit later this month.

See more amazing pics below the fold!

Akron Zoo in Ohio has announced the birth of a rare Pygmy Slow Loris! The baby, a male, was born August 21 and weighed less than an ounce (21 g) at birth. According to the zoo’s veterinary staff, the baby has been thriving and currently weighs about .4 pounds (185 grams). First-time mom Casey is doing an excellent job raising her baby behind-the-scenes in the zoo’s animal care center. 

The pygmy slow loris is a highly threatened primate and listed as a Vulnerable species on the Internation Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. 

“The birth of this rare primate is critical to the future of this species,” commented Akron Zoo President & CEO L. Patricia Simmons. “Trying to save threatened species like the pygmy slow loris and educate people about them is the vital role we, as an accredited zoo through the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, play. Births like this are extraordinary and I commend our animal care staff for their hard work.”

Photo credits: Akron Zoo

The Slow Loris gets its name in part from its slow, sloth-like movements. On average, full-sized adults weigh about 7-14 ounces (about 200-400 grams). The Pygmy Slow Loris is indigenous to Vietnam, Laos, China, Thailand, and Cambodia. Their diet generally consists of fruits, insects, vegetation and small mammals.They are primarily threatened due to deforestation, hunting and capture for pet trade. 

The new baby is the second to be born at the zoo. Frank, the baby’s father, is the also the father of the zoo's first Pygmy Slow Loris baby, born in 2008.

The Akron Zoo keeps these primates as part of the Pygmy Loris Species Survival Plan (SSP). The mission of an Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) Program is to cooperatively manage specific, and typically threatened or endangered, species population within AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums. Through scientifically-controlled managed breeding programs, SSP’s are a proactive approach to preventing extinction. SSP's were formed back in 1981 to help ensure the survival of endangered species. 

El Paso Zoo is celebrating the first Pygmy Slow Lorises ever to be born at the zoo— healthy twins! The babies, born to zoo residents Steven Tyler and Kym Ly on April 26th, have not yet been named, but they have been identified as one female and one male. At birth, the male weighed in at twenty-five grams and the female weighed in at twenty-seven grams. For reference, twenty-five grams is equivalent to about 2 tablespoons of white sugar! The newborns were dwarfed by the stethescope as the zoo's vet listened to their hearts during their checkup. 

Photo credits: El Paso Zoo

Zoo staff worked with the mother, Kym Ly, using positive reinforcement training so that they could monitor her through the pregnancy. This kind of training uses cues and rewards to encourage the loris to engage in behaviors that make it easier for staff to care for her. Kym Ly learned many commands including how to hold steady for radiographs and exams and how to present her abdomen and mammary glands for checkups. This makes checkups easier and less stressful for the new mother. Staff are already helping the babies to learn how to climb on a branch to be weighed so that staff doesn’t have to touch them.

Learn more after the fold!

This Pygmy Slow Loris baby, a vulnerable primate species, has been born at Shepreth Wildlife Park, delighting keepers after the mom's long, 6 month pregnancy. The Pygmy Slow Loris was the first official EEP (European Endangered Species Program) that the Wildlife Park joined. The male and female, who were introduced back in November 2010 under the recommendation of the EEP co-ordinator, have been transferred from other European collections and matched for their genetic diversity.

There is thought to only be 70,000 animals left in the wild, so with just under 100 individuals in the European captive breeding program, this birth has been well received by the wildlife park and co-ordinator of the program. “We are delighted to have positively contributed. Breeding endangered species, and raising both awareness and funds about the different plights such species face in the wild, is the direction in which Shepreth Wildlife Park wants to continue.”

Photo Credit: Shepreth Wildlife Park

In the wild this nocturnal primate is found in the tropical dry forests of Vietnam, Laos, China and Cambodia. The Vietnam war nearly wiped out this species when forests were cut down or burnt. While military action has since stopped, unfortunately the destruction of forests for agricultural and development purposes continues today, alongside animals disappearing into the illegal pet-trade and medicinal market, where body parts are used in traditional medicines.