Port Lympne Wild Animal Park Lemurs at Port Lympne
- Thread starter Bele
- Start date
MARK
Well-Known Member
Any idea on the numbers of Verreaux's Sifaka & Belted Lemurs in the UK?
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Both of these species are only kept at collections in the U.K that are on ISIS.
Its quite likely as the Guinea baboons at Port Lympne came from Vincennes previously, so they already have a connection with them. I think I was told they had a pair(?) of Sifaka plus the original male though I only saw one. The three belted Lemur is definately right though.
I believe they got the single male sifaka from Apenheul, because Apenheul recieved a family group (2.1) from Vincennes for future breeding. What do you mean with belted lemurs? What`s their scientific name?
By the way, I LOVE sifakas and I am praying that some female offspring will be born in 2009. With just 3-4 breeding females in the population and only male offspring in the last years, the European population will reach a dead end unless some females are born very soon.
By the way, I LOVE sifakas and I am praying that some female offspring will be born in 2009. With just 3-4 breeding females in the population and only male offspring in the last years, the European population will reach a dead end unless some females are born very soon.
Belted Lemur is a form or race (or subspecies?) of Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata). It has more Black colour distribution than the usual ones and a white 'belt' around the waist/saddle area. I had never seen them till this year. In UK I know of them at South Lakes(unless killed in recent fire) and Port Lympne.
Similarly Sifaka- I never expected to see these exhibited in zoos but have now seen them in two in UK (Cotswold and Port Lympne) this year. They are amazing. Maybe one day an Indris will be possible...
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Belted Lemur is a form or race (or subspecies?) of Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata). It has more Black colour distribution than the usual ones and a white 'belt' around the waist/saddle area. I had never seen them till this year. In UK I know of them at South Lakes(unless killed in recent fire) and Port Lympne.
Similarly Sifaka- I never expected to see these exhibited in zoos but have now seen them in two in UK (Cotswold and Port Lympne) this year. They are amazing. Maybe one day an Indris will be possible...
Newquay also has Belted-ruffed Lemurs and according to South lakes website they where saved from the fire by owner David Gill rushing to save them and the Gentle Lemurs.
Belted ruffed lemur are a subspecies of Varecia variegata. Currently, 4 different subspecies are recognised: 3 with black and white and 1 distinct red. They are evenly distributed along the eastern arc rainforests of Madagascar.
Sifakas are more common now and easier to manage and breed than 10 years ago. It is perhaps time for the EAZA to set up an EEP for them. In that process they should also look at new link ups with Tsimbazaza and Ivoloina zoos in Madagascar as a source for new unrelated sifakas and reciprocally building exhibits at both zoos for sifakas.
As for indris, that will be a long way off yet. Even in Madagascar very few institutions actually have semi-wild indris on their properties and no zoo currently holds indris anyway. They are rigorously protected in the very few reserves they are found in ....
Sifakas are more common now and easier to manage and breed than 10 years ago. It is perhaps time for the EAZA to set up an EEP for them. In that process they should also look at new link ups with Tsimbazaza and Ivoloina zoos in Madagascar as a source for new unrelated sifakas and reciprocally building exhibits at both zoos for sifakas.
As for indris, that will be a long way off yet. Even in Madagascar very few institutions actually have semi-wild indris on their properties and no zoo currently holds indris anyway. They are rigorously protected in the very few reserves they are found in ....
Sifakas in zoos.
Can someone tell me why we are currently seeing Sifakas in some zoos? This is a species I thought I'd never see in a zoo yet now there are several European zoos keeping them perfectly successfully and they are even breeding. I thought Sifakas couldn't be kept successfully in captivity but certainly that seems not to be the reason for their previous total absence.
Mind you, I can remember seeing my first Black And White Ruffed Lemur at ZSL- it was the ONLY one of its kind in the UK for very many years- almost a 'mythical creature' at that time. How things change. Some people have them as pets now....
Can someone tell me why we are currently seeing Sifakas in some zoos? This is a species I thought I'd never see in a zoo yet now there are several European zoos keeping them perfectly successfully and they are even breeding. I thought Sifakas couldn't be kept successfully in captivity but certainly that seems not to be the reason for their previous total absence.
Mind you, I can remember seeing my first Black And White Ruffed Lemur at ZSL- it was the ONLY one of its kind in the UK for very many years- almost a 'mythical creature' at that time. How things change. Some people have them as pets now....
nicholas
Well-Known Member
As far as I know all these sifakas originate from Paris, who for a long time were the only ones keeping them.
Also, keeping sifakas has not been a big problem, but getting the babies to survive has been the big challange. Duke and some institutions in the US have made very good husbandry protocols, and I'm sure Paris developed their own protocols too.