Lemurs

[Odo]

Absolutely anything about lemurs.

Threats, conservation, diets, enclosures, behaviour, training, mixed exhibits, favourite exhibits, zoo care, etc

I personally don't think many zoos do enough with lemurs. I'dlliketo see more variety of species and more mixed exhibits.
I also think more zoos could have larger lemur collectionsffor two reasons. The first, obviously, is how endangered they. But also I think if more effort was put into lemur collections they'd become major zoo attractions, which of course would help their fight.

So yeah, literally anything and everything about lemurs

 

[Lemurs]

Yes I'd always like their plights to be highlighted in zoos. When volunteering I am always keen to point out that they are worse off than tigers, gorillas, pandas etc, yet they don't get the press coverage like megafauna. Apparently as little as $7m could save them.

However, I have recently been to Madagascar and if you want to save lemurs, you need to help the people too. It is impossible for me to convey how poor Madagascar is, particularly in the south. I came home thinking that it's not only a place of crisis for its animals, but its people too.

It really is like stepping back into the past. Fields are plowed by zebu or people, there are chickens running around the streets, everywhere is a bin and toilet, cattle is driven through the streets (and still rustled), I saw live goats strapped to buses, men cycling with live pigs tied to their saddles, screaming...

I knew they eat a lot of rice but almost everywhere there are rice paddies. The landscape is hilly and scenic but once it was all forest so it’s rather hollow. Where there are no trees the roads get washed away and the fertile soil is removed so they go and cut down more trees.

The country badly needs foreign aid. Being in the UK I have no idea how we can contribute money to wealthy places like India yet contribute nothing to the likes of Madagascar. Unfortunately Mada suffered a massive setback in 2009 with the military coup, screwing up a lot of things for its humans and wildlife.

Obviously you have an interest in lemurs so if you haven’t then I’d recommend following the Lemur Conservation Network on Facebook or Twitter. They post news from the frontline and from zoos, plus interview researchers in the field, promote charities helping different species, etc (and I blog for them).

It is baby season here in Europe so there should be lots of positive (and cute) news about soon.

 

[antonmuster]

Unless you are already aware of this, zoo zurich's masoala hall together with the associated conservation projects might interest you.

The Masoala Rainforest at Zurich Zoo: Zoo Zürich - Masoala
Animals: Zoo Zürich - Animals

Conservation: Zoo Zürich - Masoala

 

[Macaw16]

I personally don't think many zoos do enough with lemurs. I'dlliketo see more variety of species and more mixed exhibits.
I also think more zoos could have larger lemur collectionsffor two reasons. The first, obviously, is how endangered they. But also I think if more effort was put into lemur collections they'd become major zoo attractions, which of course would help their fight.

The majority of lemur exhibits I can think of are home to a few species mixed together.

I think a lot of effort is put into lemurs in zoos, as they are very popular animals

They are major zoo attractions .

 

[lintworm]

Yes I'd always like their plights to be highlighted in zoos. When volunteering I am always keen to point out that they are worse off than tigers, gorillas, pandas etc, yet they don't get the press coverage like megafauna. Apparently as little as $7m could save them.

However, I have recently been to Madagascar and if you want to save lemurs, you need to help the people too. It is impossible for me to convey how poor Madagascar is, particularly in the south. I came home thinking that it's not only a place of crisis for its animals, but its people too.

It really is like stepping back into the past. Fields are plowed by zebu or people, there are chickens running around the streets, everywhere is a bin and toilet, cattle is driven through the streets (and still rustled), I saw live goats strapped to buses, men cycling with live pigs tied to their saddles, screaming...

I knew they eat a lot of rice but almost everywhere there are rice paddies. The landscape is hilly and scenic but once it was all forest so it’s rather hollow. Where there are no trees the roads get washed away and the fertile soil is removed so they go and cut down more trees.

The country badly needs foreign aid. Being in the UK I have no idea how we can contribute money to wealthy places like India yet contribute nothing to the likes of Madagascar. Unfortunately Mada suffered a massive setback in 2009 with the military coup, screwing up a lot of things for its humans and wildlife.

Obviously you have an interest in lemurs so if you haven’t then I’d recommend following the Lemur Conservation Network on Facebook or Twitter. They post news from the frontline and from zoos, plus interview researchers in the field, promote charities helping different species, etc (and I blog for them).

It is baby season here in Europe so there should be lots of positive (and cute) news about soon.

Although I agree with most of your story, I want to add that all the scenes I have seen in Madagascar that you describe as a step in the past, I have seen as well in mainland Africa in countries like Morocco, Kenya and Zambia. Madagascar is indeed a lot poorer than those countries, but large parts in Africa can feel like a step in the past.

And scientist seem to be pretty sure that Madagascar was not totally covered by forest and that at least the highlands were covered with a more savannah like vegetation with regular bush fires. But this habitat has almost completely disappeared as well due to overgrazing and an increase in fires, resulting in a lot of erosion....

Gladly Madagascar gets more attention from the scientific community in recent years and there are many NGO's and others doing really good work, this includes Durrell and the Madagascar Fauna & Flora Group and many others and it is worth supporting their work. Although the best help for Madagascar would probably be ecotourism as it could boost local and national economies, improve infrastructure and improve protection levels in the National Parks and reserves...