A photo posted online by Rihanna of herself with a slow loris has led to the arrest of two men in Phuket.

The singer uploaded an image over the weekend of the endangered creature on her shoulder, along with the caption:

"Look who was talkin dirty to me! #Thailand #nightlife."

This prompted authorities to investigate the photo, with crooks known to exploit the animals for photo opportunities with tourists.

Local media have now confirmed that a 20-year-old man and a 16-year-old man were arrested on Sunday (September 22), with two lorises confiscated.

Rihanna later posted online photos of herself meeting and greeting elephants, which also courted controversy.

The singer has since used Instagram to upload a series of snaps of herself lapping up the sun in Thailand in a bikini.