 Despite being poor pets that are difficult to care for , with a dangerous toxic bite and a sleep cycle opposite to that of humans , a large number of slow lorises are traded as pets , both locally and internationally . Although it is illegal to import slow lorises for commercial sale , they are popular exotic pets in Japan , the United States , and Europe . This is mainly because of their " cute " appearance , popularized in highly viewed YouTube videos , which is due in part to their large eyes , adaptations to a nocturnal lifestyle . Hundreds of slow lorises have been confiscated at airports , but because they are easy to hide , these numbers are likely to be only a small fraction of the total number being trafficked . Traders cut or pull the teeth of slow lorises to make them appear to be an appropriate pet for small children , but this practice often leads to extreme blood loss , infection , and death . Slow lorises lacking their teeth would be unable to fend for themselves and therefore are not reintroduced into the wild . Most captive lorises in the pet trade also receive improper care and die from poor nutrition , stress , or infection . Despite this , demand has risen , and slow lorises are no longer captured opportunistically , but are now hunted on a commercial scale using flashlights , from which the animals do not flee . 
