Rihanna Selfie With Slow Loris Causes Criminal Sting Operation [VIDEO]; Luckily She Didn't Take One At The Sex Show Afterwards; Pour It Up Singer Relaxes In Thailand During Diamonds World Tour

Rihanna loves to take selfies, but recently she took one that caused a bit of trouble with an endangered slow loris.  Thanks to the Rihanna selfie, the slow loris poachers were arrested.

Rihanna was on a short break from her Diamonds World tour when she shared the Instagram self-portrait with her nearly 32 million fans and tweeted: "Look who was talking dirty to me!"

The Rihanna selfie photograph shows Rihanna holding up a slow loris.  A slow loris is a furry primate with large eyes and a long tail, which is native to south-east Asia.  Slow loris a protected species in Thailand. Along with elephants and orangutans, the loris is often peddled by touts as a photo opportunity for tourists.

Authorities say they have long struggled to stop wildlife touts in the area.  According to police, the touts use spies to alert one another of police raids and avoid arrest.

However, this time the Thai government moved in quickly after Rihanna's picture - which has been retweeted tens of thousands of times and has more than 231,000 Instagram "likes". The Thai government ordered the ministry of natural resources and Phuket governor to set up a sting on Sunday night in the Bangla Road area of Patong beach.

Two men, a 20-year-old man and 16-year-old, were arrested during the raid and two lorises confiscated from their possession, according to local media reports. If charged, the pair could face up to four years in jail and a fine of 40,000 baht (£800).

The Phuket district chief, Weera Kerdsirimongkon, told Associated Press: "It's like a cat-and-mouse game. But this time it's bigger because a celebrity like Rihanna posted the picture, and there were more than 200,000 'likes' from around the world."

Rihanna's photo with the loris  has attracted criticism from wildlife activists.

Rihanna's selfie with the slow loris was not the only photo to court controversy on her Thailand vacation, however.

After posing with the animal, the Diamonds singer took a photo with a herd of elephants and later tweeted live from a sex show. Officials said such shows were against the law in Thailand.

Local district chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol told the Bangkok Post: "The authorities and law officials have surveyed the area to arrest and fine those involved. But the shows still happen."

Rihanna is now headed to Australia and New Zealand to continue her tour. 

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