NEWSN°17/DECEMBER 2020 Editorial IN SITU CONSERVATION One effect from 2020 is for sure: Uncertainty. Forward planning is largely News from the Little Fireface First, our annual SLOW event was impossible. We are acting and reacting Project, Java, Indonesia celebrated world-wide, including along the current situation caused by the By Prof K.A.I. Nekaris, MA, PhD by project partners Kukang Rescue Covid-19 pandemic. All zoos are struggling Director of the Little Fireface Project Program Sumatra, EAST Vietnam, Love economically after (and still ongoing) Wildlife Thailand, NE India Primate temporary closures and restricted business. The Little Fireface Project team has Investments in development are postponed Centre India, and the Bangladesh Slow at least. Each budget must be reviewed. been busy! Despite COVID we have Loris Project, to name a few. The end In the last newsletter we mentioned not been able to keep up with our wild of the week resulted in a loris virtual to forget about the support of the in situ radio collared slow lorises, including conference, featuring speakers from conservation efforts. Some of these under welcoming many new babies into the the helm of the Prosimian TAG are crucial 11 loris range countries. Over 200 for the survival of species – and for a more family. The ‘cover photo’ you see here people registered, and via Facebook sustainable life for the people involved in is Smol – the daughter of Lupak – and Live, more than 6000 people watched rd some of the poorest countries in the world. is our first 3 generation birth! Having the event. Through uniting new watched Grandmother Charlie since and upcoming loris researchers and This newsletter gives some emphasise on 2012, and continuing to watch Lupak’s in situ activities for the Southeast Asian conservationists in so many range Lorises and the Greater Bamboo Lemur in mother Lucu, we hope to see Smol go countries, our goal is to at long last Madagascar. Case studies on educational on to be successful as well. develop a slow and slender loris action activities in EAZA zoos and in situ plan for Asia. You can still watch the demonstrate the connection of different approaches for one successful conservation conference via our Facebook page! achievement. One aspect that may need to be Practical husbandry advice lead to the core implemented into such a plan is and origin of our activities namely the ex situ propagation of prosimians. And there improving connectivity for the are three mentions of individual lemurs lorises’ rapidly diminishing habitat. which remind us that the basis for our Electrocution and roadkill were both higher goals - namely the conservation considered major threats. In our own Smol © Little Fireface Project of species – are the animals, individual project in Java, we have already been animals. In addition to our field work, we have trialing water hose pipe bridges to as a Summing up: This newsletter is filled been busy trying to engage in as potential solution in agricultural areas. with reports and news demonstrating much outreach as possible. Not only Published in the open access journal th that activities for prosimians and their did we celebrate the 9 annual Slow Diversity, we confirmed that arboreal conservation go on. And despite all the (and Slender) Loris Outreach Week wildlife bridges are being used by uncertainty we are sure that we can tell in October, but we also published from more achievements in the next year. Critically Endangered Nycticebus With all good wishes and thanks for your findings of two important research javanicus, as well as other species of interest and support. and conservation projects, as well mammals and birds in Java, Indonesia. as officially receiving certification by Achim Johann the Wildlife FriendlyTM network for a The paper, titled ‘Implementing and EAZA Prosimian TAG Chair coffee-growing project in Java. [email protected] monitoring the use of artificial canopy IN SITU CONSERVATION IN SITU CONSERVATION bridges by mammals and birds in an Javan slow loris venom is to injure and monitored wounds inflicted 2019. My study aimed to investigate collection proved to be a valuable Michelle is a nature and animal agroforestry environment, Indonesia’ – and even kill – other slow lorises. by other slow lorises, which even aspects of feeding ecology and source of information about Greater lover. She’s also been a member details how simple wildlife bridges The paper titled ‘Slow lorises use resulted in some animals losing activity pattern of Greater Bamboo Bamboo Lemurs’ behavioural and of Helpsimus for many years and which also act as water irrigation venom as a weapon in intraspecific fingers, toes or ears, demonstrating Lemurs inhabiting non-protected, ecological flexibility. decided to extend her art to Greater pipes for local farmers growing competition’, details that slow lorises the potency of their venom. Fights anthropogenic areas. Bamboo Lemurs and Red-bellied coffee and other cash crops, are use venom as a defense mechanism are more common in younger Lemurs after she was inspired by providing a lifeline for this rare but against others of its kind, something animals trying to find a new territory, The analysis of feeding data pictures made on the Bamboo Lemur beautiful species. that has previously only been seen in but this level of aggression is rare demonstrated that Greater Bamboo program site. Painting lemurs or four other species worldwide. Only among related species of primates. Lemurs inhabiting the rural primates isn’t an easy task: the color six mammals worldwide are known Why is this relevant to conservation commune of Tsaratanana have a and details of the fur are indeed very to use venom, but mostly to prey on and captive management? In two more diverse diet in comparison difficult to render. other species, which makes this rare separate reviews of mortality in to their congeners in Ranomafana use of venom all the more unusual. EU and North American zoos, National Park. The results showed This work was also made available in venomous bites were found to be that plantations of exotic plant © HELPSIMUS a children’s version, with slow lorises one of the major causes of death species may provide the additional Further monitoring may benefit in the October 2020 cover stars of in slow lorises. It is also a major source of food as the most frequent a broader understanding of how National Geographic Kids! cause of death in rescue centres. non-native plant species consumed these ‘specialist’ primates adapted to Tereh on water line © Little Fireface Project Furthermore, the knowledge of by Prolemur simus were manioc degraded and anthropogenic areas. The bridges were put up at an We have continuously followed the just how territorial slow lorises (Manihot esculenta), sugarcane average height of 4.5 m and varied slow lorises since 2012 to obtain are means that translocations and (Saccharum sp.) and rice (Oryza The above results emphasize the from several to almost 100 m long, these results. Until now we have reintroductions need to take place sativa). importance of the crop protection Painting of Greater Bamboo Lemurs by M. Perroux © D. Roullet with camera traps placed at either tracked 82 individual slow lorises incredibly carefully. Often these project in the conservation of the She donates her lemur paintings to end. Slow lorises began using the via radio collars, revealing that both are done on the knowledge that The camera traps data were used to Greater Bamboo Lemur. Helpsimus who’s offering them to bridges 10-15 days after they were males and females are intensely ‘lorises are found in the area’, and determine the temporal distribution sell during its conservation weekends installed, whereas Javan palm civets territorial. In fact, 30% of all females thus animals are released, usually of Greater Bamboo Lemurs’ activity in order to raise funds for protecting took about 36 days. Now, both and almost 60% of males studied without any monitoring. Our works using kernel density estimates. Art for Conservation the Greater Bamboo Lemurs and species use them regularly and showed at least one venomous shows that the extreme territoriality By Florence Perroux, Education and In other lemur species on its study site. happily, enabling them to safely cross bite wound, and 20% of all slow of the species is likely to lead to the situ Conservation officer, La Palmyre Zoo from one habitat to another. lorises captured showed evidence of displacement death of the incomer & Delphine Roullet , Helpsimus President intraspecific fighting. or the resident. and EAZA Prosimian TAG Vice-Chair This work is directly linked to our Michelle Perroux is a French amateur Wildlife FriendlyTM certification. Furthermore, to create venom, slow painter who lives in the Southern We work with over 400 coffee lorises raise their arms over their Alps and has specialized in painting farmers in West Java to raise head, where they combine oil from mountain scenes, cows and other awareness of slow lorises whilst the upper arm to saliva in their animals on wood. Painting of Red-bellied Lemurs by M. Perroux © D. Roullet also safeguarding livelihoods. Since mouths to produce venom that can © HELPSIMUS 2014, our programme has involved then be injected with their teeth. Michelle’s paintings arouse emotion This typical rural art is called planting native trees and wildlife Their teeth are often removed when in people and thus help to raise “poya painting” and was born friendly crops (such as coffee), which they are illegally captured for exotic awareness about Greater Bamboo Katey severely injured © Little Fireface Project in Switzerland between 1830 provides much needed habitat for pets or for when they are used Lemurs and their plight in the wild. and 1850. It is usually made of a slow lorises but also an income Venom is known to play at least as props in tourist photos.