An endangered slow loris was rescued along a mountain hiking trail in Thailand.

The tarsier-like creature was discovered by officers of the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park while they were patrolling the route to Doi Suthep temple in Chiang Mai province at around 10:30 pm on August 12.

They stumbled upon the wide-eyed loris as it was on the ground trying to crawl under a pavilion. The staff took the wild animal back to their office for preliminary checks before handing it over to the Protected Areas Regional Office 16 Chiang Mai.

Phupichit Chuaybumrung, chief of the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, said that the slow loris might have escaped from a cage, or abandoned by its owner for fear of legal repercussions.

The animal is a protected species under Thailand's Wild Animal Conservation and Protection Act of 2019.

Park staff reported the discovery to the Phuping Rajanivej Police Station on August 13. Police said they were investigating if illegal wildlife traders were involved.

Meanwhile, wildlife officials said they were mulling whether to release the slow loris into its natural habitat, or keep it a wildlife breeding station.

The slow loris is included in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

There are two species of slow loris in Thailand - Nycticebus bengalensis and Nycticebus coucang. Both of these have been classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List.