Forest Department today rescued a Bengal slow loris, from the Nalua tea garden in Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj.

The species has been classified as "endangered" by the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature), and threatened with extinction due to growing demand in the exotic pet trade and traditional medicine.

Mehedi Hasan, beat officer of Tel Masura area under the Satchari Range, said the animal, believed to be around 6-7 years old, had reportedly strayed from the forest and entered the tea estate early in the morning.

A tea worker found the slow loris and brought it to his home.

On information, officials from the Satchari Wildlife Range under the Forest Department conducted a prompt operation and rescued the animal from the worker's residence.

Mamunur Rashid, range officer of Satchari Wildlife Range, said the slow loris would soon be released back into its natural habitat.

This species is very rare in Bangladesh. It is nocturnal and feeds on insects and tree bark, he added.

The Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis), commonly referred to as the shy monkey, is the smallest primate in the country.

It inhabits the evergreen forests of Sylhet and Chattogram divisions and has been listed as endangered by the IUCN, he added.

Tofazzal Sohel, general secretary of the Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) in Habiganj, said this is not an animal meant to be caged. "It must live freely in its forest habitat. Keeping such wildlife in captivity is a clear violation of the Wildlife Conservation Act."