Like most visitors to Madagascar, I began my travels in the capital of Antananarivo. My time for this trip was limited, so I headed out of Tana the following morning en route to Madagascar’s third largest city: Antsirabe. The Road to Antsirabe Antsirabe is about a 3 1/2 hour drive down the RN 7 from Antananarivo, passing by barren hills, rice fields, picturesque small villages, and roadside towns with local Malagasy out and about — shopping on market day, playing baby foot […]
How My Experience with Tiny Tim Inspired Me to Save the Lemurs
I first started loving lemurs when I went on my fourth grade class field trip to The Giraffe Ranch in Dade City, Florida. We got to see a bunch of cool animals and have encounters with wildlife. We saw a rhinoceros get a bath. We fed the giraffes. And an ostrich came right up to our bus. But my favorite encounter was with the ring-tailed lemurs. They were sweet and funny. As we left, they all sat in a little circle […]
Being a Zookeeper at Combe Martin Wildlife Park
At Combe Martin Wildlife Park we care for a group of ring-tailed, black and white ruffed, and red ruffed lemurs. My role as a zookeeper involves everything from preparing the animals’ food, producing exciting enrichment to present it in, to health checking, cleaning and training our groups of lemurs. Believe me when I say that no day is the same! Turning My Love of Lemurs into a Career as a Zookeeper My love of lemurs first manifested four years ago […]
Stronger together: Launch of the First Nationwide Campaign on the Illegal Pet Lemur Trade
Lemurs, native to the island of Madagascar, represent the most Endangered group of mammals in the world. Habitat loss, hunting, and more recently a burgeoning illegal pet trade are pushing wild lemur populations to the brink of extinction. Pet lemurs are often used to attract tourists to hotels or used as photo props, wherein tourists pay a small amount of money to take their picture up close with the animal; about 15% of hotels in Madagascar advertise pet lemurs on […]
Among Lemurs in European Zoos
We Protect What We Love Here in Germany and other European zoos, you will often be able to get very close to lemurs. Open, walk-through exhibits allow you to watch different lemur species sitting in the sun together, foraging for food in the grass, or climbing around in the trees. In a walk-through enclosure like this, you may also suddenly find one of them sitting next to you! The Animal Park Olderdissen has a motto that explains this approach very well. […]
A Look at Lemur Conservation Foundation’s Work in Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve
In a recent post, we chatted with Zoological Manager Caitlin Kenney about the Lemur Conservation Foundation’s work in the United States at their lemur reserve in Florida. Today, we talk with Dr. Erik Patel, LCF’s Conservation Program Director, about LCF’s work protecting the Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve (ASSR) in the SAVA region of northeastern Madagascar. We’ll be discussing what makes ASSR unique, why it needs to be protected, and the Lemur Conservation Foundation’s work in this region. About the success of […]
A Visit to the Apenheul Primate Park in the Netherlands
In May, I spent a day at the Apenheul Primate Park, located about an hour by train from Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Apenheul is a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. It opened in 1971 as the first zoo in the world where monkeys roamed free in forested areas and could also interact with visitors. The Park Features 35 Primate Species and 7 Species of Lemurs At first, Apenheul housed solely South American primates like woolly monkeys, spider […]
The Importance of Zoos to Lemur Conservation
June is National Zoo and Aquarium Month in the United States. To celebrate, here are some reasons why zoos are vital to lemur conservation, and will play an ever-increasing role in the story of lemur conservation going forward.