New record of Mysore Slender Loris <Loris lydekkerianus> near Puducherry, India

The Mysore Slender Loris Loris lydekkerianus, a nocturnal and ‘Near Threatened’ primate, is found in the Eastern Ghats and eastern foothills of the southern Western Ghats; mainly occurs in dry deciduous, and scrub forests with high tree density areas. Three individuals of loris were sighted in the upper canopy of Pterocarpus santalinus and Acacia auriculiformis trees in the planted forest patches near Puducherry, southern India, during September and October in 2024. All three lorises were located within a 300-m radius, with inter-individual distances of 270–500 m. This was the first sighting of slender lorises near Puducherry. This observation reiterates the importance of continuous monitoring to better understand the recovery of biodiversity in the restored forests and its significance in conserving threatened native species such as the slender loris.