Baby Loris: Rescued slow loris couple in Dubai welcome new member of family

The offspring was born in May and has spent most of its days curling up and sleeping next to its parents

Baby Loris is the first recorded birth of a slow loris in a zoological facility in the UAE. Chris Whiteoak / The Nationa

The gender of the offspring is still unknown, as it spends most of its time sleeping next to its parents. The team will be more hands-on with Baby Loris in the coming weeks. Chris Whiteoak / The National

On average, there are less than 10 slow lorises born at zoological facilities world-wide every year. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Baby Loris' father is named Lonely, who was rescued after being abandoned in a box in Dubai last year. Chris Whiteoak / The National

After Lonely (pictured) was rescued, another slow loris was found in the streets of Dubai. This time, it was a female that was then named Amal by Green Planet. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The slow loris couple are believed to have been brought into the country through illegal wildlife trade. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The slow loris is a nocturnal animal that sleeps for up to 16 or 18 hours a day. It mostly feeds off insects and vegetation. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Lonely Loris and Amal met for the first time in mid 2019. Courtesy The Green Planet

From March 2019: Green Planet’s rescue of the slow loris couple sparked interest from the public, with the centre receiving more calls about taking in abandoned animals. Pawan Singh / The National

Lonely Loris was found abandoned in Dubai. Courtesy Green Planet

Two slow lorises that were abandoned and rescued in Dubai at different points of last year have welcomed a new addition to their family.

Born on May 15, the offspring named Baby Loris is under the care of Green Planet, an indoor rainforest attraction in Dubai.

The baby's parents Lonely and Amal were rescued within months of each other in 2019. The male, Lonely, was left in a box near a veterinary clinic in March, while Amal, the female, was found on the streets in June.

The birth of Baby Loris is a bit of a rarity. On average, less than 10 slow lorises are born at zoological facilities worldwide every year. In this case, Baby Loris is the first of its species to be born in a zoological facility in the UAE.

Meet Baby Loris:

It is still unknown whether Baby Loris is male or female since it spends most of its time curled up sleeping next to its parents during the day. The nocturnal animals can spend up to 16 or 18 hours per day sleeping, waking only to forage for food. The team at Green Planet will become more hands-on with Baby Loris in the coming weeks.

Watch the video below to see the moment the Lonely and Amal met for the first time:

Lonely, Amal and Baby Loris are part of the Sunda slow loris species, which is native to Southeast Asia, specifically Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. They are considered an endangered species, with their existence threatened by habitat loss and the exotic pet trade.

Green Planet’s rescue of the slow loris duo sparked interest from the public, with the centre receiving more calls about taking in abandoned animals. In December 2019, a male sulcata tortoise was also welcomed into the centre after it was found by a member of the public on the road.

In 2016, a UAE law was set in place to ban ownership of dangerous, wild or exotic animals outside of zoos, wildlife parks, circuses, breeding and research centres. Then in 2018, pet abandonment became a criminal offence.

Both Lonely and Amal are thought to have been illegally trafficked into the country.

Visitors can see the family at Green Planet, which has reopened with new safety measures in place, including limited capacity inside its bio-dome building and the mandatory use of face masks.

More information can be found on thegreenplanetdubai.com