Predation accounts of translocated slow lorises, Nycticebus coucang and N. javanicus, in Sumatra and Java

  • Robithotul Huda IAR Indonesia. Jl. Curug Nangka Kp. Sinarwangi, RT. 04/05, Kel. Sukajadi, Kec. Tamansari, Bogor, West Java 16610
  • Richard Moore IAR Indonesia. Jl. Curug Nangka Kp. Sinarwangi, RT. 04/05, Kel. Sukajadi, Kec. Tamansari, Bogor, West Java 16610
  • Karmele L. Sanchez IAR Indonesia. Jl. Curug Nangka Kp. Sinarwangi, RT. 04/05, Kel. Sukajadi, Kec. Tamansari, Bogor, West Java 16610

Abstract

Incidences of primate predation are seldom witnessed in the wild and even less so at night. The slow lorises (Genus: Nycticebus) are small-bodied nocturnal primates found across Southeast Asia. Here we provide accounts of predation events that occurred during behavioural monitoring in a seven-year translocation programme of radio-collared Javan (N. javanicus) and Sunda (N. coucang) slow lorises. From 2010 to 2017, a total of 30 Sunda slow lorises and 45 Javan slow lorises were fitted with radio collars and were released into their respective habitats. Seven Sunda slow lorises and four Javan slow lorises fell victim to predation during this period. Six were confirmed cases, and five were suspected. Predators included felids (leopard cats and Javan leopards), reptiles (reticulated pythons and common water monitors) and raptors (changeable hawk-eagles). With all the cases presented here, the backgrounds of the slow lorises (i.e. time spent in the illegal trade and rehabilitation) need to be taken into consideration as the animals’ abilities to avoid predators may have been affected. Nevertheless, as predation accounts in nocturnal primate species are so rarely observed, this collection of observations involving slow lorises may help to provide additional information to better understand certain aspects of predator-prey relationships.

Published
2018-07-01
How to Cite
HUDA, Robithotul; MOORE, Richard; SANCHEZ, Karmele L.. Predation accounts of translocated slow lorises, Nycticebus coucang and N. javanicus, in Sumatra and Java. Journal of Indonesian Natural History, [S.l.], v. 6, n. 1, p. 24-32, july 2018. ISSN 2685-5437. Available at: <http://jinh.fmipa.unand.ac.id/index.php/jinh/article/view/108>. Date accessed: 29 mar. 2024.
Section
Contributing Papers