It\u2019s a baby only a mother could love.<\/p>\n
A rare wide-eyed pygmy slow loris \u2014 with eyes as big as its ears and a sleep cycle that would drive even the most patient parents bonkers \u2014 has become the first primate born at the Bronx Zoo\u2019s new exhibit for nocturnal animals.<\/p>\n
The Dec. 13 birth of the little critter in the \u201cWorld of Darkness\u201d section was just announced by proud-papa zoo reps \u2014 who warned fans not to take its photo using a flash because of the species\u2019 sensitivity to light.<\/p>\n
A wide-eyed pygmy slow loris is the first primate to be born at the Bronx Zoo\u2019s new exhibit dedicated to nocturnal animals. WCS\/Bronx Zoo<\/p>\n
Visitors are asked to not take photographs, given the primate\u2019s sensitivity to light. WCS\/Bronx Zoo<\/p>\n
\u201cThe baby will become more active and independent as it grows, becoming fully weaned around 6 months of age,\u201d the zoo said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cDue to the pygmy slow loris\u2019s sensitivity to light, the Bronx Zoo requests that visitors kindly resist taking disruptive flash photographs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Slow lorises are born with their full fur and eyes open, the zoo said. The pint-sized primates only reach an adult weight of about a pound \u2014 or a little more than a loaf of bread.<\/p>\n
The new Bronx baby has yet to be named \u2014 because zoo workers don\u2019t even know if it\u2019s a boy or girl yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cBronx Zoo animal care staff will determine the baby\u2019s sex at its first veterinary exam,\u201d the zoo said.<\/p>\n
The unnamed newborn is part of a \u201cSpecies Survival Plan\u201d aimed to maintain the global pygmy slow loris population. WCS\/Bronx Zoo<\/p>\n
The zoo\u2019s shadowy World of Darkness exhibit spotlights more than two dozen rare and unusual nocturnal animals across 21 habitats, from two-toed sloths to vampire bats.<\/p>\n
The pygmy slow loris is native to southeast Asia and is considered to be endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature\u2019s Red List of Threatened Species.<\/p>\n
Habitat loss and poaching for the illegal pet trade are prime reasons for the species\u2019 \u201crapid decline,\u201d the zoo said.<\/p>\n
The unnamed newborn is part of a Species Survival Plan program aimed to maintain the global pygmy slow loris population.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe baby will become more active and independent as it grows, becoming fully weaned around 6 months of age,\u201d the zoo said. WCS\/Bronx Zoo<\/p>\n