Not-so-vegetarian: orangutans eat world's cutest animal

18 January 2012 - 13:51 By Times LIVE
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A female Pygmy Slow Loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) clinging strongly to a human arm
A female Pygmy Slow Loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) clinging strongly to a human arm
Image: Jellrancher

Sumatran orangutans are apparently not above hunting and eating the world's cutest animal - the slow loris according to a report.

According to The New Scientist, Madelyn Hardus of the University of Amsterdam and her colleagues were tracking two Oragutans, Yet and and her infant Yeni, when Yet abruptly turned around, knocked a slow loris out of a tree, bit its head off and then shared it with Yen after the latter begged.

They then proceeded to eat it from both ends, a bit 'like lovers eating pasta' according to the report.

This brings the number of observed cases of orangutans hunting up to nine, all of which have happened in years when fruit is sparse. While the sample is small, researchers have noted the hunters appear to be repeat offenders.

You can read the full story on NewScientist

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