Daijiworld Media Network - Keri

Keri, Sep 22: A slender loris was found dead after being hit by a vehicle while crossing the Surla-Kankumbi road near the confluence of the Kalasa and Surla streams on Monday.

Ramesh Zarmekar, a wildlife enthusiast from Surla, discovered the carcass and alerted locals.

Slender lorises are small, nocturnal primates native to India and Sri Lanka. They are primarily arboreal and usually move through trees while foraging and travelling after dark. Their solitary nature and slow movement on the ground make them particularly vulnerable to collisions with speeding vehicles.

The animals generally inhabit tree canopies and are not strong jumpers. Fragmentation of forest cover and gaps between trees along roads often force them to descend to the ground and crawl across roadways, increasing the risk of road accidents.

The forests surrounding the proposed diversion and dam site of the Kalasa project at Kankumbi are home to several species of wildlife, including tigers, sloth bears, slender lorises and other animals.

Wildlife habitats in the region have faced growing threats since the construction of the Goa-Belgaum road through Chorla Ghat and the Surla-Kankumbi area.

The latest death has once again raised concerns over the impact of roads and vehicular movement on wildlife in the forested region.