Mating Behavior of Slow Loris (Nycticebus coucang) at Captivity

Habitat loss and changes in land-use forests for plantations, mining, and settlement, as well as poaching, have caused the decline of wildlife populations in the tropical rainforest. One of the endangered wildlife of slow loris which has traditionally been traded as pet animals. In Indonesia, slow loris has a status of protected under the Wildlife Protection Ordinance number 266 1931, the Decree of the Minister of Agriculture dated February 14, 1973 number 66/ Kpts/Um/2/1973, and ministerial decree number 301/Kpts.II/1991 dated June 10, 1991 subsequently amended by Government Regulation number 7 of 1999. Since 2007, CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) has incorporated all kinds of slow loris in Appendix I, which means that in international trade of slow loris, no longer allowed to trade in slow loris captured directly from nature, but must be from the cultivation of captivity. One of the efforts to save slow loris from extinction is through captive breeding efforts (ex situ conservation). Captive breeding success is characterized by the development of slow loris population in captivity. In captivity, slow loris experiences habitat/environment change from the outdoors to limited conditions, including changes in the process of adaptation and mating behavior. Up to now, information about mating behavior of slow loris in captivity is still limited, but it is needed in the process of supervision/ management and handling of its reproduction. Therefore, it is necessary to study and do research the mating behavior of slow loris in captivity as a reference in the cultivation effort to address the problem of conservation, especially in zoo management techniques of slow loris. Jurnal Biologi Indonesia, Vol. 11, No. 2. Hal. 309-312