In the animal kingdom, being cute can be a curse. A prime example of this would be the Slow Loris. These cute animals are endangered due to being poached by the thousands for the pet industry.

These cute little animals are nocturnal and when spotted with a flashlight, they freeze up like a deer in headlights. Unfortunately, this makes poaching trivial. Combine that with deforestation which destroys the hiding places and the Slow Loris doesn't have a chance.

The older ones are ground down into a powder which locals believe can "cure" cancer. Others are boiled alive in order to extract the oil from there skin. The oil is believed to slow down aging. The fur of the Loris is used to heal wounds, the flesh to cure epilepsy, eyes are used in love potions, and the meat is reported to cure asthma and stomach problems.

The cuter baby Loris is sold to the pet trade but not before their teeth are removed. Often the teeth are yanked out leading to infection. As pets, the nocturnal Loris is subjected to bright lights daily leading to stress. Their defensive behavior of putting the arms up in order to secrete a toxin is seen as "cute" leading to owners who purposely trigger the behavior. Been a primate the Loris requires specialized care, care that very few people are able to provide. This, in turn, has led to high mortality rates in the pet trade.

Despite being internationally banned, the Loris is still been sold out in the open in countries such as Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. A single Loris can be sold for as much as $100 USD while the fine for selling one can range anywhere from $2- $200 USD. Clearly, the enforcement of the ban is severely lacking.

Please sign and share, together we can pressure the governments of Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand to impose stricter bans and harsher enforcement of poaching.