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Venomous primate found in Indonesia after vanishing in 1930s
New York Post • • world
Key Points:
- The Bangka slow loris, a venomous and nocturnal primate thought extinct for nearly 89 years, has been rediscovered in urban and suburban areas of Bangka Island, Indonesia, with over 90 individuals documented between 2015 and 2025.
- Many of the slow lorises were found injured due to human-related hazards such as electrical wires and dog attacks, but wildlife rescuers successfully rehabilitated and released 86 back into the wild.
- This small, venomous primate, closely related to lemurs, is critically endangered due to habitat loss caused by illegal tin mining and land clearing for palm oil plantations.
- Researchers emphasize that the rediscovery highlights the potential for other presumed-extinct species to still exist near populated areas and calls for urgent long-term conservation efforts to protect the Bangka slow loris.
- The species’ venom can cause severe allergic reactions in humans, and despite its lethality, it primarily uses the toxin for social grooming within its species.
