By Elijah Ford
WE HAVE had two very exciting new arrivals at All Things Wild recently.
Our troop of ring-tailed lemurs have welcomed two babies born on April 11 to mum, Summer and dad, Pepper.
The arrival of these infants is not just exciting for our team, but also for the protection of species in captivity.
Ring-tailed lemurs are considered endangered by the IUCN, which means that they are at a high risk of extinction out in the wild and they are considered one of the most unique members of the primate family.
The two youngsters are developing well, and we have recently started to observe them taking their first steps away from Summer.
For the first few weeks of their life, they stay tightly stuck to mum’s back for protection, and for easy access to food.
Now they are starting to venture off and have even been seen playing with their older brothers.
We are yet to name the pair, but they will soon be having their first vet check up, where we will figure out what gender they both are.
Our troop, or ‘conspiracy’, of eight ring-tailed lemurs are led by the dominant female, Summer.
They feed on a mix of insects and vegetables, and their favourite food in the world is sweetcorn.
All lemur species can be found on the island of Madagascar, with ring-tailed lemurs living in forested and rocky areas in the southwest of the country.
Elijah Ford from All Things Wild. Picture by Marcus Mingins 4925007MMR3
In the wild, all lemur species face a wide variety of threats, which is what causes them to be considered the most endangered mammal group on the planet.
For the ring-tailed lemur, they are most threatened by habitat loss due to climate change and the expansion of land used for raising livestock.
They are also under threat from the pet trade, where they are taken out of the wild to be sold for profit.
If you visit our zoo, make sure you stop by the daily lemur walkthrough sessions, where you can go into the enclosure with our troop and get up close with our lovely lemur family.
We are also home to the critically endangered, red-ruffed lemur, with our three females being members of the species’ European Breeding Programme.
We have also recently partnered with the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership, which is working in Madagascar to not only protect a wide variety of lemurs, but also a wide variety of other plants and animals.
Soon, you will be able to learn more about our collaboration with them, and learn more about their vital conservation efforts to protect one of our planet’s most fragile ecosystems.
