Poets and endangered species

 
15 May 2013

The slender loris is the subject of a new poem by Jo Shapcott. Last night, surrounded by armadillos and moustachio’d monkeys in the rainforest pavilion at London Zoo, Shapcott talked about this Sri Lankan nocturnal animal endangered by the illegal pet trade. “I chose it for its intriguing name, its night vision, its air of mystery,” she told the Londoner.

There will be five more events through the summer, chaired by poet Ruth Padel, who is also passionate about conservation. Other writers taking part include Curious Incident author Mark Haddon on Galapagos tortoises and Andrew O’Hagan on the Malaysian tapir. “All are partnered by a conservation scientist and, of course, by the animal itself,” says Padel.

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