The loris found in Bắc Kạn. VNA/VNS Photo

BẮC KẠN — A pygmy slow loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) was just discovered by an official of the Nam Xuân Lạc Species and Habitat Conservation Area in Chợ Đồn District, the northern mountainous province of Bắc Kạn.

Previously, on March 28, an official of the People’s Committee of Bản Thi Commune in Chợ Đồn District also found another loris. 

The management board of the conservation area is currently preparing to release these mammals back into nature.

The animal is listed as endangered, precious and rare, and is prioritised for protection belonging to Group IB following Government Decree 84/2021/NĐ-CP dated September 22, 2021. Internationally, it is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), while in 2020 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified it as endangered.

The management board of the conservation area coordinated with the People’s Committee of Bản Thị Commune to release the lorises into nature within the special-use forest area managed by the unit.

A representative of the management board said the agency and local authorities have increased patrols, protection efforts and public awareness campaigns to ensure that residents living around the conservation area refrain from any actions that may harm the lorises or other wild animals. — VNS