Adorable baby zoo animal loses arm in accident — and earns name of ‘Star Wars’ icon

An accident when he was just days old led to an adorable primate at an Ohio zoo being named after a powerful Jedi master.

The Cincinnati Zoo said the pygmy slow loris had an accident just a week after his mother, Blackwell, gave birth to him. Officials are unclear how the accident occurred as it happened off-camera.

He lost his right arm as a result of the incident, zookeepers said.

But it led to a fitting name choice for the primate, who received the name “Luke” after the iconic “Star Wars” character. Luke Skywalker lost his hand battling Darth Vader in “Stars Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back.”

Zoo officials said the primate received daily treatment until his arm was healed.

“Besides when he was receiving healthcare, or being weighed to monitor his growth, he has remained with mom the entire time who has taken great care of him and his arm,” the zoo said. “Since the accident occurred so early in his life, Luke has learned to navigate life with his one arm easily and (despite their name) is actually quite speedy.”

The only known venomous primate, pygmy slow lorises are nocturnal and have “phenomenal vision” due to their large eyes, according to the Cincinnati Zoo.

The species are often just 6 to 10 inches long. They spend most of their lives in trees, utilizing their “extremely strong fingers and toes” to maintain powerful grips on branches, officials say.

Officials welcomed Luke’s mother, Blackwell, to the Cincinnati Zoo in 2021. Luke, alongside Blackwell, will be introduced to his new habitat “very soon,” the zoo said.

This story was originally published September 25, 2024 at 8:58 AM with the headline "Adorable baby zoo animal loses arm in accident — and earns name of ‘Star Wars’ icon."