A slow loris climbed up a broken communication cable and died from electric shock this morning in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, southern Thailand. Residents say it is the third slow loris to climb up the cable and die from electric shock.
Locals say a fire caused some of the electric wire to become exposed, presenting a risk to animals and humans alike. The community has requested the relevant authorities to come and repair the wires several times, but so far no one has come to address the problem, causing the death of three endangered slow loris.
A disturbing photo taken this morning shows the slow loris hanging from the wire, having already died from electrocution. Local residents said they wanted to retrieve the slow loris’s body but couldn’t, out of fear that they too would be electrocuted.
Slow loris are a harmless species of nocturnal primate native to the rainforests of southeast Asia. Wild populations have declined severely and become locally extinct in several regions. The species is listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species due to a growing demand in the exotic pet trade and traditional medicine. Slow loris are commonly – but illegally – sold at animal markets around Thailand and elsewhere in southeast Asia.
The slow loris is also hunted for traditional medicinal purposes, being used to treat stomach problems, broken bones, sexually transmitted diseases and by woman following childbirth.
The community has called on the relevant authorities to repair the wires to prevent risk of electrocution to both animals and people.
SOURCE: ThaiRath