Illegal Trade And Behavior Of Captive Populations Of Bengal Slow Lorises In China

As food,traditional medicine and pet,slow lorises are threatened by illegal trade and then rescued by zoos or wildlife rescue center.Based on an increasing number of individuals in captivities,this study aims to provide an evaluation on illegal trade and captive behavior of Bengal slow lorises in China,and thus contributes to further study of behavioral evolution and conservation in Lorisidae.We quantified the number of reports of native primate species rescued featuring in unique web news reports from 2000 to 2017,including accuracy of identification,location where they were confiscated or rescued,and body conditions.To measure temporal trends across these categories,the time span was divided into three sections: 2000-2005,2006-2011 and 2012-2017.For the study of captive populations,Xishuangbanna Nanken River Rescue Center,Pu’er Taiyang River Rescue Center,and Gejiu Baohua Park Zoo were selected as research sites.Behavioral activities were recorded by infrared monitoring cameras in 24 hours every day in 2017 and 2018.We used focal animal sampling and instantaneous scanning method to collect behavioral data and coded them following the ―posture-act-environment‖(PAE)coding system.We also used the data of captivity environment,climate and human disturbance to evaluate the effects of ambient factors on time budget of slow lorises.A total of 735 individuals of 14 species were reported in 372 news reports,mostly rhesus macaques(n=165,22.5%,Macaca mulatta)and two species of slow lorises(n=487,66.3%,Nycticebus spp.).During the same period,live individuals of rhesus macaques were recorded 206 times(70,949 individuals)in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES)Trade Database,whereas slow lorises were only recorded four times(nine individuals),indicating that the two species originated domestically or illegally imported.Most of the individuals rescued were in residential areas(n=21,56.7%),suggesting that most primates may have been raised as private pets.More than half(n=502,68.3%)of the rescued individuals were in sub-health,injured or died when rescued.An average of 16.3 h,17.8 h and 13.0 h were used by slow lorises for sleeping in Xishuangbanna,Pu’er and Gejiu during November and December 2017.The slow lorises in Gejiu spent 11.7 h(48.7%)of time activity and 12.3 h(51.3%)of time sleeping.In activity,21.1% of total time was used in locomotion,20.8% in No-movement,4.2% in foraging,2.1% in feeding,2.8% in abnormal behavior and other activities for 2.2%.Temperature,humidity,food,human disturbance,and individual arrangement have significant effects on their time budget.Given the clandestine illegal trade of primates based on web news reports,it can be concluded that monitoring systems of wildlife trade within China are insufficient,and there is an urgent need for initiatives to make regulatory mechanisms more effective.It is necessary to strengthen captive management and improve animal welfare,which was still inconsistent and rudimentary.Recommendations to address these areas should include.In addition,it is highly recommended that an approach concerning identification-training and awareness initiatives,capacity-building work and education programmes should be developed towards husbandry professionals and the public.