This is indeed a very nice taxon; although from what I have heard it may only be a matter of time before it is granted full species status. Belted Ruffed Lemur are not too uncommon in UK collections, being also held at Belfast, Port Lympne, South Lakes and Cotswold Wildlife Park, with successful breeding at all of these collections as far as I know.
Unfortunately - but unsurprisingly - those animals held at South Lakes are mixed with Pied Ruffed (Varecia variegata variegata) and Red Ruffed (Varecia rubra) and the three taxa breed freely with one another, leading to something of a hybrid complex in that population
There is a very vocal pair at Newquay. As TLD has said there are a few around, but I have never visited South Lakes or Belfast, and I can't recall seeing them at Port Lympne or Cotswold (they may have been asleep or I may have been concentrating on the sifakas and gentle lemurs in those collections ).
Unfortunately - but unsurprisingly - those animals held at South Lakes are mixed with Pied Ruffed (Varecia variegata variegata) and Red Ruffed (Varecia rubra) and the three taxa breed freely with one another, leading to something of a hybrid complex in that population
and I can't recall seeing them at Port Lympne or Cotswold (they may have been asleep or I may have been concentrating on the sifakas and gentle lemurs in those collections ).
PL was the first place I saw them- I wasn't expecting them so a bit of a surprise. They were 'in the woods' top end near the Sifaka. Excellent shot as per usual btw....
I daresay they *do* have something to say about it - but I also daresay that Gill fobs them off with the same kind of barefaced lie as that he tells the giraffe studbook regarding his mixture of pure Kordofan with generic animals ie saying they are not mixed and never have been!
This photograph posted by zoogiraffe nicely proves the ruffed lemur mix.....
