Saving Little Fire Faces

Darkness lies all around Lincoln Park Zoo keeper Bryan Summerford as he crouches in the fragmented forests of West Java, Indonesia, surprisingly nestled up next to coffee and other agriculture fields. Armed with a red flashlight, notebook, and camera, he waits. In a flash, the species he seeks darts across the bamboo thicke—as critically endangered slow lorises are anything but slow. The group of researchers he’s with takes note of the tracking device around the loris’ neck, part of a concerted effort to monitor and conserve these bug-eyed beauties.

“It was exhilarating the first time I saw a loris in the wild,” says Summerford. “Her name is Zippy and I observed her wake up from high up in her bamboo nest and immediately began foraging for tree gum, flower nectar, and insects. She was incredibly quick!”

Nighttime behavioral observations are only one of the many ways Summerford spends his two weeks in Indonesia as part of a designated annual keeper grant by the Faey family. The West Java rainforest is home to the Little Fire Face Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving the loris through ecology, education, and empowerment. With this group, Summerford engages in daytime field work, motion-sensor camera monitoring, community engagement, and the release of rehabilitated lorises.

This subspecies of slow loris, the Javan slow loris, is recognized as a critically-endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, with populations dwindling due to wildlife trafficking for the pet trade, exploitation for use in traditional medicine, and urbanization. These little nocturnal primates are less than a foot long and identified by their huge brown eyes which help spot prey and forage for food in the dark. They sport a short brown-and-gray coat and have opposable thumbs and strong hands that help them climb trees. Lorises share habitat with other obscure nocturnal animals such as colugos, pangolins, civets, and owls, which the Little Fire Face Project also observes opportunistically.

“It was eye-opening and heartbreaking to see the firsthand effects of wildlife trafficking and the pet trade on lorises and other Indonesian wildlife,” says Summerford. “But it was also very encouraging how organizations like Little Fire Face Project and Chikananga Wildlife Center are stepping up to help and educate current and future generations on the importance of conservation. It also made me proud that Lincoln Park Zoo is working to combat wildlife trafficking.”

During his trip, Summerford visits local schools to share nature-based curriculum about protecting wildlife and the students’ local ecology. He also visits a local zoo to assist creating habitats and enrichment for rescued or confiscated lorises. This ensures they have proper space for climbing, exploring, and engaging in species-specific behaviors.

With a renewed respect and enhanced passion for lorises and other lesser-known species, Summerford returns to Regenstein Small-Mammal Reptile House eager to continue caring for and sharing the stories of these curious creatures with zoo guests.

“In my short time in Indonesia, I learned so much about loris behavior and am excited to use that knowledge to enrich the lives of the lorises here at Lincoln Park Zoo,” he says.