This primate’s cute looks make it vulnerable to the pet trade.

Our Quarters for Conservation (Q4C) initiative, which gives you the opportunity to “vote” for a conservation project on each visit to the Zoo, highlights three unique programs every three months. This spring, one of your choices is Little Fireface Project.

This organization studies the ecology of slow and slender lorises and contributes whenever possible to the conservation of these species. Little Fireface Project will use its Q4C grant to prevent the extinction of the critically endangered Javan slow loris.

The Javan slow loris is a nocturnal primate native to Indonesia that faces two main issues: lack of suitable habitat and its cute appearance leading to its trade as a pet in the country. You may have seen viral videos of these adorable creatures eating rice balls or bananas, but it’s important to remember that slow lorises do not make good pets whether wild-caught or captive-bred. In fact, they are the only venomous primates, and traffickers will often remove their teeth specifically for the pet trade. For this reason, if you stumble across a video of a slow loris as a pet on social media, we encourage you to “flag” the video.

At Oxford Brookes University, Little Fireface Project is conducting the first long-term study of this species to understand the slow loris and the state of wildlife trafficking in Indonesia. Further, the organization will use its research to prevent the extinction of this wide-eyed primate.

To cast your vote for Little Fireface Project, visit the Zoo and drop your token into the corresponding Q4C box! Stay tuned for our next round of unique conservation projects.