Compassionate conservation, rehabilitation and translocation of Indonesian slow lorises

Abstract

With the number of threatened species in rescue centres rising, scientific reports on the functioning and success of such centres is essential. Compassionate conservation tries to bridge the gap between animal welfare advocates and conservation biologists, recognising the benefits of preserving a species and its individuals. A case in point is that of Indonesia's threatened slow lorises Nycticebus spp., where illegal trade is decimating wild populations of these primates. We present 4 yr of data from Ciapus Primate Centre in Indonesia, which received 180 slow lorises between 2008 and 2011. We show that >85% of these primates were unsuitable for reintroduction; 23 slow lorises that were deemed suitable for reintroduction were released to the wild between 2010 and 2013 and were followed with radio tracking. Eleven of them died (on average 76 d post-release), 1 was recaptured (148 d post-release), 6 are no longer being monitored (after, on average, 263 d post-release) and their status is unknown, and 5 are still being monitored (average 226 d post-release, as of December 2013). The challenges posed by work with slow lorises in the Ciapus Primate Centre over these 4 yr, with release success highly variable, show that even with concerted effort, rescue centres need to consider alternative options. We review such options, considering the pros and cons of euthanasia, life in captivity and reintroduction to the wild. We conclude that in today's global conservation crisis, it can only be beneficial to combine the expertise of animal welfare practitioners and conservation biologists.