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10 of the cutest endangered species

By: Laura Moss on Sept. 20, 2012, 5:57 p.m.

Slow lorises

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Slow lorises

Despite its toxic bite and the fact that the 2007 CITES conference banned international transport of the animal, the slow loris is a prized pet (with a reputation for enjoying tickles), making it a target for animal traffickers. The animals are also hunted for use in traditional Asian medicine and are threatened by habitat loss due to logging. The slow loris’ endangered status varies by country, but the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists most populations as declining.

sand cat kitten

Pileated gibbon

Mexican Axolotl

Black-footed ferret

Egyptian tortoises

Slow lorises

Despite its toxic bite and the fact that the 2007 CITES conference banned international transport of the animal, the slow loris is a prized pet (with a reputation for enjoying tickles), making it a target for animal traffickers. The animals are also hunted for use in traditional Asian medicine and are threatened by habitat loss due to logging. The slow loris’ endangered status varies by country, but the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists most populations as declining.