Tirumala forest officials reunite two slender loris cubs with mother

TIRUMALA: Two slender loris cubs, which were found in the Tirumala forests by locals and handed over to the forest officials suspecting that the mother of the cubs abandoned them, were reunited with their mother in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Locals found the two cubs on a leafy bed near Tirumala-Tirupati Ghat Road on Tuesday night and brought them to Tirumala.

The cubs were handed over to the forest officials around 1 am.

TTD Divisional Forest Officer Phani Kumar said the slender loris generally leaves the cubs at safe places and go in search of food. They return after sometime and take care of their cubs.

He added that the locals have brought the cubs from the habitat suspecting that they were abandoned.

Later, forest watchers and the youth went to the spot from where they were picked and left them at the same place.

The mother came to the spot around 1 am but sensing human presence, it did not come near the cubs.After the watchers went far away, the mother returned around 3:30 am and took the cubs into the forest, Phani Kumar said.

 The DFO said a slender loris changes its nest frequently to protect its cubs.