Conservationists and local residents have renewed their appeal to the Tamil Nadu government to establish a dedicated Slender Loris Sanctuary in the Madurai region following a series of deaths involving the elusive nocturnal primate. They warn that habitat degradation, roadkills and quarrying activities are pushing the species towards further decline.

The Grey Slender Loris, one of India’s most distinctive nocturnal primates, is found in significant numbers around the Alagar Hills landscape, including villages such as Alagarkoil, Kesavanpatti, Idayapatti, Melavalavu, Pattur, Kambur, Chekkipatti and Karungalakudi. Scientific surveys have documented more than 100 individuals in the Kesavanpatti–Idayapatti area alone, highlighting the region’s importance for the species’ conservation.

According to Tamil Nadu Forest Department officials, five slender loris deaths have been recorded in the Melur forest range since 2025, with most incidents linked to human activities. However, environmentalists believe the true mortality rate is much higher, as many roadkill cases are never officially documented.

The species inhabits tree hollows, dense vegetation, palm groves and wooded patches adjoining agricultural fields. Increasing deforestation, expanding stone quarries, habitat fragmentation and rising human disturbance are steadily shrinking these habitats, forcing the animals into closer contact with roads and settlements.

Environmentalist C. Jeeva from Kesavanpatti said the officially recorded deaths represent only “the tip of the iceberg,” noting that local residents frequently witness lorises being killed while crossing roads near forest edges. Another activist, Kambur Selvaraj, expressed concern that quarrying operations in Kottampatti Union have fragmented vital breeding habitats. He alleged that continuous rock blasting, dust and vibrations from more than ten stone quarries have visibly reduced the local loris population over the years.

Activists are urging the state government to notify a second Slender Loris Sanctuary covering suitable habitats in Madurai and adjoining Sivaganga district, similar to the Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary, India’s first sanctuary dedicated to the species, established in 2022 in Karur and Dindigul districts.

Forest Department officials confirmed that a proposal seeking sanctuary status for the Madurai–Dindigul landscape has already been forwarded to the Tamil Nadu government. The department has also launched awareness campaigns encouraging motorists to drive cautiously through known loris habitats during night hours in an effort to reduce roadkill incidents.

Conservationists believe that granting protected status to the region would not only safeguard one of Tamil Nadu’s most important slender loris populations but also help preserve the unique dry forest ecosystem on which the species depends. With increasing pressure from development and expanding infrastructure, they warn that timely conservation action is essential to ensure the long-term survival of this rare and charismatic primate.

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