A new study published in Biodiversity and Conservation warns that the Bengal Slow Loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) — the only nocturnal primate found in South and Southeast Asia — is rapidly losing its forest home. Researchers predict that more than 85% of its suitable habitat could vanish by 2060 due to climate change and ancient river barriers that limit the species’ movement across its range.
Led by Imon Abedin, Hyun-Woo Kim, and Shantanu Kundu, the study reveals that the Bengal Slow Loris — which ranges from Northeast India through Myanmar to southern China and Indochina — faces a “double squeeze”: accelerating habitat loss from rising temperatures and fragmentation caused by major river systems such as the Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Salween, and Mekong.
The research, a collaboration between the Dibru-Saikhowa Conservation Society (Assam) and Pukyong National University (South Korea), emphasises the ecological significance of Northeast India as one of the species’ last strongholds. Field observations confirmed the loris’s presence in Dihing-Patkai National Park, Namdapha National Park, Bherjan-Borajan-Padumoni Wildlife Sanctuary, and Dibru-Saikhowa National Park — some of the last refuges in India’s eastern biodiversity corridor.
“Our findings are alarming,” said lead author Imon Abedin. “Only about one-third of the current habitat remains suitable, and future projections indicate an 85% decline under climate change scenarios. The Bengal Slow Loris is already confined to fragmented forest patches, particularly along the Brahmaputra basin.”
The team used ensemble species distribution models and circuit-based connectivity analysis to project the species’ current and future habitat. India currently supports the most suitable habitat, followed by China and Myanmar. Yet even here, suitability could drop by up to 25% by 2080, with only 10% of those areas falling within protected zones.
The study also highlights increasing human pressures — including cropland expansion (24,000 sq. km), urbanisation, palm oil plantations, and frequent forest fires — that compound the threats to the primate’s survival.
According to Prof. Hyun-Woo Kim, ancient river systems that formed during the Cenozoic era continue to fragment the Bengal Slow Loris population, reducing connectivity and isolating populations across South and Southeast Asia.
The authors stress that Northeast India, Bhutan, and Myanmar play a pivotal role as ecological bridges between South and Southeast Asia. Establishing transboundary conservation corridors, they argue, could still preserve the species’ genetic flow and ecological resilience.
“We recommend expanding protected areas to include key evergreen forests, constructing canopy bridges to reconnect fragmented habitats, and enforcing stronger measures against deforestation, hunting, and illegal wildlife trade,” said Prof. Shantanu Kundu. “We also urge the formation of a regional conservation committee involving governments, NGOs, and international bodies like the IUCN.”
The study concludes that without coordinated action across India, Bhutan, Myanmar, and China, the Bengal Slow Loris could face local extinction in several parts of its range. Protecting the species, the authors emphasise, should be a priority within both biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation strategies for the region.
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