Handrearing lorises and pottos
See also handrearing
chapter of the San Diego loris husbandry manual
Update in preparation, available
here soon, with information about milk composition, rearing techniques,
weight development and, as far as available, information how to determine
the age of rescued or confiscated orphaned infants
Compiler: Helga Schulze. (Ruhr-University Bochum) in cooperation with
Helena Fitch-Snyder (San Diego Zoo) and others (see acknowledgements and
references). Includes data by Janet Hawes, San Diego Zoo, Jackie Ogden,
Disney´s Animal Kingdom, Kissimee, FL., Sarah Christie, London Zoo,
Carol Sodaro, Brookfield Zoo, B. Meier and U. Nieschalk, Ruhr-University.
When is handrearing necessary?
Slender
loris babies usually cling to the mother permanently during the first weeks,
unlike in Nycticebus and pottos from whom regular infant parking
is reported. Loris babies may occasionally fall down from their
mother; they will then give zic
calls (short high clicking or chirping calls) which cause the mother
to search for the baby and either pick it up or stay close to it until
it has mounted again. Experience at Ruhr-University showed that babies
who have fallen down repeatedly from the mother in the first two weeks
after birth, utter zic calls permanently or are repeatedly torn away from
the body and held at soome distance from the body by the mother usually
will not be successfully reared, even if the mother carries them with her
hands for longer periods, either because she has no milk and they fall
down because of increasing weakness (permanent crawling about on the mother
may be a sign of searching for milk) or because they were hurt during a
chute and are therefore unable to cling to the mother´s fur properly.
In one case, a two-weeks-old infant with seizures after falling down and
hitting a branch was kept on electrically heated fur and fed for 24 hours
until seizures and permanent zic calls stopped and was then successfully
reintroduced to mother and twin sibling. Hawes and Ogden (in press) recommend
to try supplementation of mother-reared infants with formula if the mother
has got too little milk or cross-fostering (introducing infants to an other
mother with milk) and early introduction of handreared infants to conspecifics.
If reintroduction to the mother is tried, avoiding of any disturbance
by humans is necessary because the mother may become extremely excited
and nervous already from hearing repeated zic calls; even sham-attacks
with growling against the baby have been observed in such cases, shy mothers
did not dare to approach a baby lying in lower parts of the cage when disturbed
by observers, and in one case the excited mother tore the healthy twin
sibling from her fur, too, and dropped it with excitement. Retrieval by
the mother may be made easier by depositing the baby in a high place where
the mother feels safer; covering the floor below with something soft below
(cushion) may then prevent lesions if the baby falls down again.
Housing during first weeks of handrearing:
Some surrogate imitating the mother´s body (artificial or genuine
fur, plush animal) is necessary for the infant´s wellbeing. Hawes
and Ogden (1998 / in press) recommend prewashing of surrogates and use
only of those not continually shedding and simulation of maternal body
temperature by a hot water bottle; they also recommend additional use of
blankets as a hiding place. At Ruhr-University, an electrical heating pad
rolled around a stick, kept at 37°C and covered with soft fur, was
used; it was attached in the cage in a way allowing the baby to cling to
it from below as well as on top. At the age of 100 days the loris did not
sleep on it any more but on a branch. Temperature was 22-27°C (with
infrared light outside the cage), some protection against draught (plastic
foil) was provided and air humidity was kept at approximately 80% by a
wet towel in the cage. When the infant began to climb, additional thin
branches were provided (Nieschalk 1984). At London Zoo, an incubator providing
a temperature of 33-35°C was used, a water tray beneath wiremesh kept
the air humid (Christie, 1992). For occasional transports, at London Zoo
an insulated travelling box with pre-heated heating pad isnside was used.
For a lesser slow loris neonate, an incubator temperature of 32.2°C
was initially maintained; from day 21 on temperature was gradually reduced
to 25 - 25.6°C at day 39, with a toy animal provided to cling to. On
day 46 the animal was transferred to a small mesh cage furnished with branches
and other surrogate allowing contact to both parents through the wiremesh,
with access to the dam´s enclosure through a little door from day
60 on. At San Diego Zoo, an incobator with 32°C and humidity set low
is used (at Philadelphia Zoo humidity is set high), between approximately
day 19 and 47 incubator temperature is diminished to 27°C and the infant
is gradually habituated to stay outside the incubator. For Nycticebus
babies offering of branches from the fifth day on is recommended for simulation
of natural infant parking, with branches preferably taken from the cage
of the infant´s natal group (Hawes and Ogden, 1998 / in press).
Feeding procedure and care:
For slender loris babies, catheters fitted to syringes turned out to
be a good nipple substitute, commercially available teats proving too big.
For handrearing a lesser slow loris at Brookfield Zoo, a tuberculin syringe
fitted with a latex nipple which had been produced in-house.. An additional
0-05 ml of formula was added to each feed to compensate for the amount
of liquid that remained in the syringe tip (Sodaro, 1993). Hawes and Ogden
(1998 / in press) during the first days recommend special attention to
avoiding aspiration of formula into the lungs, particularly in Loris
neonates because of their frequent vocalization and active nature.
For later use, small size nipples may cautiously be tried; multi-purpose
small teats # T-3 available from Geoff and Christine Smith, 15 O´Shannassee
St., MT. Pritchard NSW, Australia, are recommended by Hawes and Ogden (1998
/ in press)
Wiping of the infant´s genitals with a wet cloth or soft hair-pencil
after feeding stimulates urination and defecation during the first month.
Defecation in the Loris baby at London zoo also took place without
stimulation whereas urination had to be stimulated; at Ruhr-University,
no independant urination or defecation was observed until about day 70.
In a potto, stimulation was necessary for two months, then the juvenile
ceased to respond (Walker, 1968).
Cautious grooming of the fur with a soft little brush, particularly
in the arm pit / median upper arm region (brachial gland fields), is apparently
enjoyed.
Milk composition, feeding intervals
For loris handrearing, diet still seems to be a problem; of two slender
lorises successfully handreared one had to be euthanized at the age of
about 18 months because of severe diabetes, the other one had eye problems
(decreased vision) at a rather young age and had to be euthanized because
of untreatable eye ulcera at the age of six years.
For primates in general, Gass (1987, quoting Tiemann 1985) recommends
not to change the formula product used. At London Zoo (3-days-old baby),
during the first 5 hours glucose solution (5%) was offered against dehydration;
a total of 0.45 ml was taken in three feeds. Then SMA liquid (human
baby milk by John Wyeth & Brother Ltd., Maidenhead, Berkshire, Great
Britain), at half strength for the first six feeds on day 4, then full
strength until day 9 was given. Since according to Jenness and Sloan (1970)
slow loris milk is higher in protein and fat and lower in carbohydrates
than SMA and little weight gain was measured, then a mixture of SMA
and Multimilk (milk powder high in protein and fat, manufactured
by PetAg Inc., 201 Keyes Avenue, Hampshire, Il. 60140, USA) was gradually
introduced over several days (Christie, 1992). Since problems (see below)
indicated that this diet was still inadequate, a richer diet as used at
Duke University Primate Center (K. Weisenseel, pers. comm.) was then provided;
this change and later further concentration by reduction of the amount
of water alleviated symptoms such as distended belly, copious urine and
occasional vomiting after meals..
Field observations indicate that Nycticebus infants are parked
for longer periods and not fed at short intervals as usual in captive handreared
infants (Wiens, pers. comm.), but more frequent feeding might be necessary
during handrearing as lower weight gain from artificial formula than in
mother-reared infants was observed, for instance by Christie (1992).
Comparison of two slender loris handrearing diets
| London (Christie, 1992) |
Meals |
Bochum (Nieschalk 1984) |
Meals |
| Age |
Food consumed |
(formula) |
Age |
Food consumed |
(formula) |
| Day 3 |
0.45 ml per day (glucose) |
3 (total) |
-
|
(mother-reared) |
|
| Day 4-5 |
5.25; 6.4 ml per day |
15, 10 per day |
-
|
(mother-reared) |
|
| Day 6-11 |
5.4 - 9.4 ml per day |
9 per day |
Day 9- |
Milumil (or Preaptamil or Aptamil);
as directed by makers, lactose added to every third meal, calcium (Osspulvit)
twice per week and vitamin (Multibionta) added. Quantity: as much
as the animal would take (E. Zimmermann, pers. comm).
From day 84 on Milumil mixed with the same amount of milk protein
powder (Protifar); no more lactose. |
|
| Day 12 - 41 |
5.2 - 9.9 ml per day |
6 - 9 per day |
Day 14-56 |
Every 2 hours |
| Every 3 hours |
| Day 42-45 |
8.4 - 10.9 ml per day, first mashed banana |
5 - 6 per day |
Day 57-69 |
| Every 5 hours during night, every
3 hours during day |
| Day 46-50 |
11.4 - 13.9 ml per day, mashed banana regularly taken |
4 - 5 per day |
Day 70-84 |
| Day 51-68 |
13.6 - 18.7 ml per day,
milk concentration increased twice |
4-5 per day |
Day 85-120 |
Fruit offered in addition; consumption of solid food from
day 100 on |
Every 4-5 hours |
| (Mother-reared loris: first seen feeding from
mother´s dish at day 64) |
(Mother-reared loris: consumption of solid
food starting between the 75th and 120th day; data by B. Meier). |
| Day 69 - 80 |
9 - 18.3 ml per day,
additional banana-pellet-mix |
3 per day |
From day 140 on |
Insects offered in addition |
Twice per day |
| Day 81 - 111 |
16.7 - 3.5 ml per day, from day 109 on weaning, amount
of formula decreasing. Insects added to diet |
2 - 3 per day |
|
|
|
| After day 111 |
No more formula handfeeding; adult diet |
|
|
|
|
Comparison of two slow loris / lesser slow loris handrearing
diets
Brookfield Zoo (Sodaro, 1993),
for pygmaeus |
Meals |
San Diego Zoo (Hawes, Ogden, 1998 /
in press), for pygmaeus, slow lorises |
Meals |
| Age |
Food consumed |
(formula) |
Age |
Food consumed |
(formula) |
| 1 3 |
50% Esbilac : 50% Pedialyte at 18.5% of body
weight. Vitamin-iron-supplement* |
Every 3 hours |
2 |
Liquid Esbilac and distilled water 1:1 |
|
| 4 10 |
100% Esbilac, vitamin supplement; half
a drop of 50% dextrose every third feed; at 80.5% of total body weight |
Every 1-5 hours |
3 |
Liquid Esbilac and distilled water 1:5 |
|
| 11 |
| Every 2 hours during night, every 1-5 hours during day (15
feeds) |
5 |
100% liquid Esbilac |
|
| 13 14 |
Formula increased to 20% of body weight |
Every 2 hours (13 feeds) |
10-12 |
25% of body weight |
11 per day |
| 26 29 |
Feeds decreased to 9 per day |
|
13-16 |
24% of body weight |
10 per day (every 2 hours) |
| 31 |
Dextrose solution discontinued |
|
17-18 |
24% of body weight |
8 per day (every 2.5 hours) |
| 33 36 |
|
Gradually reduced to 6 per day |
19-24 |
24% of body weight |
7 per day (every 3 hours) |
| 50 |
0.25 teaspoon mashed ripe banana at each feed |
|
25-29 |
24% of body weight
In addition: finely diced banana pieces, soaked primate biscuits, other
solid food |
6 per day (every 3-4 hours) |
| 52 |
0.25 teaspoon Zu/Preem canned Primate diet at each
feed |
|
30-36 |
21% of body weight
From day 33-34 on in addition 4 mealworms, 1 cricket per day |
5 per day (every 4 hours) |
| 58 |
0.25 teaspoon steamed sweet potato at each feed |
|
37-46 |
18% of body weight |
4 per day |
| 78 96 |
|
Gradually reduced to 3 per day |
47-53 |
12.5% of body weight |
3 per day |
| 97 117 |
|
Gradually reduced to 2 per day |
54-60 |
8.6% of body weight |
2 per day |
| 118-128 |
|
Reduced to I per day |
61-73 |
4.9% of body weight |
1 per day |
| 144 |
|
Single feed reduced by 50% |
74-75 |
1.7% of body weight |
1 per day |
| 151 |
|
Weaned |
76 |
Weaned |
|
* Esbilac containing 15.2% solids, 6.5% fat, 5% protein and 2.4%
carbohydrates. Pedialyte = electrolyte solution. One to two drops
of Polyvite multi-vitamin iron supplement were added to each 100 ml of
formula. |
Diet for hand-rearing of a potto (Walker, 1968).
| Age, days |
Diet |
Meals (formula) |
| Days 1-21 |
One part evaporated milk, two parts water as
recommended by Crandall 1964, one drop multivitamin (Abidec, by
Parke-Davies, Great Britain) per 14 g |
Every 3 hours during day, once per night |
| Day 21-120 |
| Every 3 hours during day, no feeding during
night |
| About day 35 |
First solid food taken (mashed paw-paw) |
|
| About 6 months |
First live prey taken; almost all live and vegetable food
taken from then on, main diet: banana, shredded beef, milk |
|
Observed health problems during hand-rearing:
Cooling down after separation from he mother: occurs quickly in neonate
slender lorises with their thin hair cover (observation at Ruhr-University
at normal room temperature). Thermoregulation in Nycticebus begins
to work approximately at day 19 or 20 (Hawes and Ogden, 1998 / in press)
Dehydration or hypoglycaemic condition: may be treated with addition
of Pedialyte or D5W to formula or with subcutaneous supplementation
of fluids (Hawes and Ogden (1998 / in press)
Intermittently-occurring mild diarrhoea, over-extended belly, emission
of abundant urine, occasional vomiting after feeding: condition improved
after giving more substantial, less diluted formula (Christie, 1992)
Spasms on day 4 (infant passing clear bubbles from the mouth and hiccuping
excessively during feeding. Suspicion that the amount of food given exceeds
stomach capacity; frequency of feeding therefore increased too one-and-a-half
hours intervals and amount per feed decreased (Sodaro, 1993)
Walker (1968) also observed three attacks of painful cramp in a successfully
reared potto in which it was unable to extend its digits. The attacks passed
of in half an hour.
Signs of constipation were frequently in the loris reared t Ruhr-University;
time of genital / belly massages was then prolongued and more lactose was
added to the food. When this did not help, warm hip-baths (approximately
37°C) of a duration up to 20 minutes were given, combined with an enema
with babylax, and more liquid (Fennel-tea) was given (Nieschalk
1984).
At the age of 3, 6 and 9 weeks a thick white coating was found in the
oral cavity of the slender loris at Ruhr-University, in the first case
leading to difficulties with breathing. In all cases E. coli were
found, in one case in addition Klebsiella oxytaka, and in two cases
fungi. Medicine was chosen after resistance tests (Nieschalk 1984).
Treatment:
1st case: Minocyclin (antibiotic), 0,2 mg per day for five days;
at the same time Candio-Hermal (antimycotic), three times per day
for 7 days, each time 1 - 2 drops.
2nd case: Sulfonamid / Trimetoprim, 0,2 mg per day for
7 days; from the 5th day on in addition Candio-Hermal, 2 - 3 times
per day for 6 days, each time 1 - 2 drops.
3rd case: Minocyclin, 0,3 mg per day for three days
The medicaments helped and were tolerated by the animal.
Infant development
in L. t. nordicus
Neonate Infant
|
about 30 days old Juvenile
|
about 120 days old
|
Behavioural and weight development in captive-bred
mother-reared single offspring and twins of L. t. nordicus from
Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. Data: B. Meier
References:
Brown, C., 1979: Handrearing Senegal bushbabies Galago senegalensis
at the Wildlife Breeding Centre. International Zoo Yearbook 19:
261-262
Christie, S., 1992: Hand-rearing a slender loris, Loris tardigradus
nordicus, at London Zoo. Int. Zoo Yb. 31: 157-163.
Crandall, L. S., 1964: Management of wild animals in captivity.
Univ. of Chicago Press. (Pp. 74-82: Family Lorisidae. Lorises, pottos,
and galagos).
Gass, H., 1987: Affen. Pp. 1-43 in: Krankheiten der Wildtiere
[diseases of wild animals], Gabrisch, K.; Zwart, P. (eds.), Schlütersche
, Hannover. (German)
Hawes, J.; Ogden, J., 1998 / update in press: Birth management
and hand rearing. In: Fitch-Snyder, H.; Schulze, H.; Larson, L. et al.:
Management of Lorises in captivity. A husbandry manual for Asian Lorisines
(Nycticebus & Loris spp.). Center for Reproduction of
Endangered Species, Zoological Society of San Diego, Box 551, San Diego,
CA 92112-0551.
Jennes, Sloan, 1970: The composition of milks of various species:
a review. Dairy Sci. Abstr. 32: 599-612.
Nieschalk, U., 1984: Haltung und Verhalten eines handaufgezogenen
Loris
tardigradus. [Care and behavioural development during handrearing of
a Loris tardigradus]. Unpublished report for the DFG (German Science
Foundation). Ruhr-University Bochum. (German)
Sodaro, C., 1993: Hand-rearing and reintroduction of a Pygmy
slow loris, Nycticebus pygmaeus, at Brookfield Zoo, Chicago. Int.
Zoo Yb. 32: 221-224
Walker, A., 1968: A note on handrearing a potto. International
Zoo Yearbook 8: 110-111.
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Slender loris husbandry information
Preliminary draft; H. Schulze |
Last amendment: 22 November 1999 |