Recently, the Little Rock Zoo welcome these two adorable babies to the zoo family, they are brother and sister twin Pygmy Slow Loris', and after a naming contest, the names Nova for the girl and Sol for the boy were chosen by the public.

The zoo staff couldn't be more pleased with the names chosen for the new babies which were born on August 3. The photo above was when they were 12 days old. The picture below is more recent. Sol is on the top, Nova below.

Sol and Nova - Little Rock Zoo
Sol and Nova - Little Rock Zoo
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The birth of the slow loris twins comes at a recommendation of the Species Survival Plan ® Program (SSP). The SSP Program, developed in 1981 by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), helps to ensure the survival of select species in zoos and aquariums, which are either threatened or endangered in the wild. These animals are native to Southeast Asian countries (Vietnam, Laos, eastern Cambodia, and China), pygmy slow lorises are listed as an endangered species on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list. This means this species is very likely to become extinct in the near future. They are primarily threatened by loss of habitat due to commercial and residential development, agricultural threats and other environmental threats.

Currently, there are only forty-four (44) pygmy slow lorises in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA’s) population, so the birth of these two at the Little Rock Zoo is significant to the conservation and survival of this species! The recent births represent an important contribution to the Pygmy Slow Loris SSP (Species Survival Plan).

For more information about the Little Rock Zoo, to purchase tickets, find out about group rates, and to see all of the different events they host, go to their website, and be sure to follow them on Facebook.

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Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.
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