Loris illuminated

The insectivorous gray slender loris is endemic to the Eastern and Western Ghats, mountain ranges along the coasts of India. The sight of lorises in the forest is considered a bad omen among the native Kani people, but they are willing to round them up to satisfy the demands of photographers willing to pay substantial sums for a "managed" photo shoot with the charismatic primate. They use bright lights, scare tactics, and even tree-cutting methods to capture the nocturnal animals. They capture the lorises, hold them for several days in the village, set up the photo shoot, then re-release them far from the capture site. It's shameful that the illegal pet trade removes these sensitive creatures from their indigenous habitat, but the news that they often don't make it home after being caught on camera needs spreading. Conservation biologist Arun Kanagavel – who took the photograph above – cautions, "As far as possible handling these shy primates should be disallowed and instead loris-watching treks can be arranged to observe them in the wild and photograph them naturally."

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