Endangered pygmy slow loris arrives at Taipei Zoo from Czech Republic

Taipei, March. 7 (CNA) The Taipei Zoo said Thursday that a female pygmy slow loris arrived safely from the Czech Republic the previous day and will be paired with a male loris to boost the endangered species' population and genetic diversity outside its native habitat.

"After completing a one-month quarantine, it will be introduced to a male at Taipei Zoo to form a new family, with the goal of increasing the ex-situ population and genetic diversity of the species," the zoo said in a news statement.

The newly arrived female loris, named "Chö," was transferred from the Ostrava Zoo in Czechia to Taiwan under the coordination of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria's ex-situ programs for pygmy slow lorises, the zoo added.

According to the European Environment Agency, ex-situ conservation is the practice of preserving "components of biological diversity outside their natural habitats."

The zoo said that pygmy slow lorises are listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

The mammal is native to rainforests in Vietnam, Laos, and eastern Cambodia, the zoo added.

"Poaching, illegal wildlife trade, and habitat loss have led to a continuous decline in the wild population of pygmy slow lorises," the statement read.

Taipei Zoo is currently home to male pygmy slow lorises, with a father-and-son pair on display in the exhibit and the third male kept separately, the zoo said.

"Chö" will be introduced to the lone loris for pairing, with her public debut at the zoo to be scheduled based on its adaptation progress, the zoo added.