14 DAY TRIAL // Keepers at Akron Zoo in Ohio have announced the birth of a baby pygmy slow loris, and they have even been courteous enough to share some pictures of the tiny creature with us ordinary folks.
The baby slow loris was born to mother Casey a few months ago, on August 21. The latter had never been a mom before, but it appears to have things well under control.
Zoo Borns tells us that, at the time of its birth, the animal weighed less than an ounce (21 grams). Thanks to all the tender loving care it's receiving, it has grown to weigh about half a pound (nearly 200 grams).
The International Union for Conservation presently considers pygmy slow lorises to be a vulnerable species. Hence the fact that conservationists are trying to breed them in captivity.
Commenting on the arrival of this baby, Zoo President and CEO Patricia Simmons said that “The birth of this rare primate is critical to the future of this species.”
“Births like this are extraordinary and I commend our animal care staff for their hard work,” Patricia added.