Suffering slow lorises saved from pet shop
Jessica Lim
NST, 11 Feb 2007
KUALA LUMPUR: Help came fast for seven slow lorises, which were found during a raid on a pet shop in Bandar Puteri Permai, Seri Kembangan, on Thursday.
The raid by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) also uncovered a masked palm civet and a baby python.
A piece of animal skin, believed to be that of a leopard, was also found drying on a car parked opposite the pet shop.
The owners of the shop have denied owning it, said Perhilitan Wildlife Crime Unit officer Celescoranio Razond.
Most of the animals were displayed for sale in cages placed along the five-foot-way outside the shop.
The pet shop owners could not produce licenses for the seized animals.
“One slow loris is very sick, and three or four others are also not healthy. They are usually quite active, but when we found them, they didn’t fully respond,” said Razond.
“We believe they were exposed to the sun all day.”
The python was under-nourished.
Razond said it was the biggest seizure of slow lorises during a single raid in the country.
A slow loris can fetch between RM2,000 and RM3,000 on the black market, and the civet, above RM5,000.
The animals are being housed at the Perhilitan headquarters in Cheras, where their health is being monitored. They may eventually be sent to the Malacca Zoo or the department’s animal rescue centre.
Both slow lorises and masked palm civets are totally protected under the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972.
Illegally keeping a male slow loris brings a maximum fine of RM3,000, two years’ jail, or both, while illegally having a female one can bring a maximum fine of RM10,000, 10 years’ jail, or both.
Pythons are also protected under the Act. Illegally having one can bring a maximum fine of RM3,000, maximum jail term of three years’ or both.
Those illegally having any part of a clouded leopard face a maximum fine of RM15,000, or five years’ in jail.