Best and worst lemur walk-through
- Thread starter lamna
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IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
I actually think Marwell are on the right lines with theirs - a darkened public area, SEPARATED from a naturalistic area for the animals by glass. The drawback there is the lack of climbing structures.
I rather doubt whether most wild animals care for the close proximity of noisy human beings. They will grow to tolerate, and very often trust, their keepers, but I suspect that those feelings aren't extended to the general public. I really think that they prefer knowing that there's a barrier in place.
I rather doubt whether most wild animals care for the close proximity of noisy human beings. They will grow to tolerate, and very often trust, their keepers, but I suspect that those feelings aren't extended to the general public. I really think that they prefer knowing that there's a barrier in place.
The best lemur walk-through for me is the one at Woburn Safari Park. Here you are actually permitted to stroke the Ruffed Lemurs, which is a wonderful experience. They don't mind, but give every indication of liking the attention, and move off once they have had enough. You have probably inferred, quite correctly, that I am more than a little fed up with all the health and safety precautions in zoos these days. The lemur walk-through at Dudley Zoo is very good too, and you can get very close to the Ring-tailed Lemurs, particularly if, like me, you make a point of leaning on the wooden rail along which a lemur is walking, so that it has to hop over you, brushing your face with its tail as it does so, but, unlike at Woburn, touching of the lemurs is forbidden and can earn you a sharp rebuke from the member of staff on duty.
camel leopard
Well-Known Member
Walk through's are great but I think is a thin line between allowing people close and allowing too much interaction between the public and the animals i.e feeding and stroking. They are after all supposed to be wild animals and not seen as something that is there to pet. Though I can see the advantages of allowing such things.
my favourite walkthroughs are bats 
however I do enjoy Woburns lemur walkthrough and the Cotswolds wildlife parks lemur walkthrough is probably my favourite thoughI like Dudley's as well, it's a converted wildfowl walk, and I think that's why it feels less slapped together than some places. It's got lots of nice mature trees and bushes too.
I think the low level stress can be a good thing. Wild lemurs constantly have to worry about being nabbed by an eagle or fossa, I don't think the odd rampaging toddler is going to hurt them. Obviously there are limits but I've never seen any lemurs that looked like they couldn't cope.
Something I've also notice at Dudley is how the exhibit is divided between the ring-tailed, black-and-white ruffed and black lemurs, each clearly has it's own space and they defend them nosily.
WMSP has open one this year, apparently the largest in the UK and also based on a former walk-though. Going to see it next Sunday.
I think the low level stress can be a good thing. Wild lemurs constantly have to worry about being nabbed by an eagle or fossa, I don't think the odd rampaging toddler is going to hurt them. Obviously there are limits but I've never seen any lemurs that looked like they couldn't cope.
Something I've also notice at Dudley is how the exhibit is divided between the ring-tailed, black-and-white ruffed and black lemurs, each clearly has it's own space and they defend them nosily.
WMSP has open one this year, apparently the largest in the UK and also based on a former walk-though. Going to see it next Sunday.
I personally think that Cotswold have the best walk through because of the sifaka but from a design perspective I think Dudley wins hands down. It features a lot of climbing oppurtunities and as already mentioned, the lemurs tend to be very territorial, making for an interesting display. The hilly layout also makes it appear a lot more spacious than it is and it appears quite natural.
Have you been to Chester Zoo? The bat walk though is amazing, go on a quiet day close to the end of the day for a up close and personnel experience!
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
They also have 3 male Collared Lemurs in this exhibit!
Having seen the WMSP Lemur exhibit,I would say its not the largest in the UK,I would say its Blair Drumond Safari Park that has the largest!
Dudleys used to allow touching lemurs, but according to someone I spoke to there they had too many kids pull on the lemurs and get bitten with more than one parent threatening to sue, so they stopped it.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
They tend to spend the day a sleep inside their house!
Dudley was the first walkthru I ever saw and was amazed by it. It probably is the best in my opinion, although I never saw the former one at Cricket St Thomas which was by all accounts massive and contained 7 or 8 species. Its a shame it no longer exists. Paignton's seems to be very large but has anyone ever actually seen a red-fronted lemur outside the house?! It somehow doesn't seem to work as a walkthru, and it think it's down to specie choice - red fronted lemurs are a shy specie, ruffed and ringtailed are a bit more brazen and might be bettre for the exhibit. Southlakes have free range lemurs, but zoochatters on here have reproted seeign remains of lemurs in big cat enclosures so there are definately limits as to how free lemurs should be kept.
The area of woodland between regents canal, the clore house and the 2 bridges at london zoo would make a good spot for a free range lemur exhibit, if the fence along the canal was hotwired. They could be viewed from the path along the front of the clore. Thoughts?
The area of woodland between regents canal, the clore house and the 2 bridges at london zoo would make a good spot for a free range lemur exhibit, if the fence along the canal was hotwired. They could be viewed from the path along the front of the clore. Thoughts?
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
I have emboldened part of your idea, leiclad, as I fear it wouldn't get off the starting pad.
Westminster City Council have seen Hanuman langur, Bolivian Squirrel Monkey and Eastern Colobus breakouts in recent years. No way are they going to countenance another walk-through primate facility by the banks of the canal. Hotwiring won't appease them either, they'd see it as a H&S risk.
Unless there's a big, easily secured area of woodland, lemur walk-throughs seem to end up as Ring-tailed Lemur exhibits. Ruffed Lemurs throw their weight around too much, Sifaka are too precious and nearly all the other available taxa are too retiring.
Each to his own
, but to me lemur walk-throughs are evidence of zoo marketing departments refusing to engage the public with the concept that zoos hold wild animals, and are not exotic pets' corners.
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Gigit
Well-Known Member
The Red- Fronted pair do go outside, along with the Ring-Tailed. It's the current pair of Red-Ruffed that I haven't seen at large! I don't really have any opinions on the enclosure either way as I am so familiar with it. I usually pass through quickly so that I can get to the other side of the orang island!
'At large'.... I do like this quaint expression- for me it sums up visions of a 1930's master criminal on the run, but can be equally suitably applied to animals too, as you have so well demonstrated.
