Rihanna poses with 'dirty talkin' loris

Rihanna poses with 'dirty talkin' loris

She garners attention wherever she goes.

But R&B singer Rihanna's trip to Thailand last week has got her attention of the wrong kind, according to reports in the Thai media.

Social media networks and wildlife activists are abuzz after she posted a photo on Instagram showing herself believed to be posing on Phuket's Soi Bangla in Patong with a slow loris, which is an endangered species.

The Rihanna episode came to light after the Phuket Wan tourism website reported that a group of wildlife activists were raising funds for the establishment of a loris rescue centre, the Bangkok Post reported.

A photo, posted with the tag "Look who was talkin dirty to me!" shows Rihanna posing with a slow loris perched on her shoulder, the Phuket Gazette reported.

The Phuket Gazette said that among the responses Rihanna's action got was one from Nicole Matier, who posted: "This is a slow loris. They are easy targets to trap and keep in chains. Please don't support animal abuse in Thailand. When I volunteered in Thailand, these were another animal we worked on rescuing from the streets."

User "rensta86" added: "You're right, these animals are extremely endangered and abused in many South-east Asian countries... Riana (sic) should delete this picture quickly!!"

The Bangkok Post also said the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation urged residents to help identify where Rihanna was pictured holding the slow loris.

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'More information needed'

"Phuket is big. We need more information before we can act," DNWPC deputy director-general Theerapat Prayurasiddhi said.

Thai authorities have arrested a 20-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy for possession of protected animals and confiscated two lorises from them, reported AP.

Slow lorises are listed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. They are also protected by Thailand's Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act.

Those in possession of a protected species without a permit can be fined up to 40,000 baht (S$1,600) or jailed up to four years or both.


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