
A few weeks ago, these two baby pygmy slow lorises, were the Smithsonian National Zoo’s first-ever pygmy slow loris birth, a major accomplishment with regards to the zoo’s efforts in conservation for this endangered species. Now, after zoo keepers and zoo mammal specialists have monitored their health in the first weeks of life since they were born overnight on March 21st, the two newborns are considered healthy and will be on view alongside their parents at the National Zoo ‘Small Mammal House’.
How to see the National Zoo’s new baby primates
You can visit the National Zoo’s newest residents today by visiting the Zoo’s ‘Small Mammal House’, where you see them on view. According to keepers, the newborns are most active in the late morning and early afternoon, where they can often be seen getting groomed by their mother, Naga.
What are the newborn primates’ names?
The two newborns do not yet have names, which may indicate the National Zoo’s intention to host another public survey to crowdsource a name for the two little ones, as they often do for newborns such as the Western Lowland Gorilla born at the National Zoo last year, which was eventually named Zahra which received over 12 thousands on the survey that the National Zoo posted on their website.
Additionally, the Zoo has yet to confirm the gender of the two newborns, which they’ve announced will be determined and confirmed after their first exam with the vet in the coming months.
Why are these newborn endangered primates so special for the National Zoo?
These two baby primates are from an endangered species, the pygmy slow loris, which is native to the forest areas of Southeast Asia. The species and its natural habitats have suffered immensely from deforestation and the illegal pet trade, making these primates endangered and reliant on conservation efforts, like those made by the National Zoo, to ensure the species’ future safety. The parents of the two newborns were 3-year-old Naga, and two-year-old Pabu; a planned breeding couple recommended for pairing as part of a special “Species Survival Plan”.
What makes the pygmy slow loris so unique is that they happen to be the only venomous primates in the world, they produce their venom in a gland in their upper arm which ultimately mixes with their saliva to create a ‘toxic’ bite that is painful, slow-to-heal, and is prone to allergic reactions. While their venom isn’t typically used for self-defense in the wild from predators because it isn’t ‘fast-acting’, it is used to groom themselves to prevent parasites or to settle territorial disputes with other pygmy slow lorises.