 Even within their countries of origin , slow lorises are very popular pets , particularly in Indonesia . They are seen as a " living toy " for children by local people or are bought out of pity by Western tourists or expatriates . Neither local nor foreign buyers usually know anything about these primates , their endangered status , or that the trade is illegal . Furthermore , few know about their strong odor or their potentially lethal bite . According to data compiled from monthly surveys and interviews with local traders , nearly a thousand locally sourced slow lorises exchanged hands in the Medan bird market in North Sumatra during the late first decade of the 21st century . 
