Snowleopard's Mammals: A Lifetime List of Species Mammalian and Non-Mammalian

[NNM.]

Hyped for lemur time!

Love me some Strepsirrhines.

I wonder how many non-lemur prosimians will be mentioned. Those are always interesting.

 

[toastrgophr]

I wonder how many non-lemur prosimians will be mentioned. Those are always interesting.

Hopefully lots. Lorisiformes are my favourite

 

[German Zoo World]

It's very unusual for me to come across Olive Baboons on my zoological travels, having only seen the species at 11 zoos. At least 7 of these are non-AZA-accredited American facilities, one is a Dutch primate rescue center, one is a privately-owned German safari park, and that really only leaves Toronto and ZOOM as the two accredited zoos (AZA and EAZA).

1- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Olive Baboon – 2008
2- DeYoung Family Zoo (USA) – Olive Baboon – 2014
3- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – Olive Baboon – 2015
4- Sierra Safari Zoo (USA) – Olive Baboon – 2015
5- America’s Teaching Zoo: Moorpark College (USA) – Olive Baboon – 2017
6- Indian Creek Zoo (USA) – Olive Baboon – 2018
7- Special Memories Zoo (USA) – Olive Baboon – 2018
8- Stichting AAP (Netherlands) – Olive Baboon – 2019
9- ZOOM Erlebniswelt (Germany) – Olive Baboon – 2019
10- Serengeti-Park (Germany) – Olive Baboon – 2019
11- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Olive Baboon – 2023

At ZOOM Erlebniswelt (Germany), a visitor can see Olive Baboons on foot or even via a boat ride. The large, sprawling exhibit is home to a massive troop of the animals.

@FunkyGibbon

@RonBurrgundy

Toronto Zoo (Canada) has had Olive Baboons for many years in an excellent exhibit:

@m30t

@arcticwolf

Olive Baboons are seen from across a wide moat at Serengeti-Park (Germany):

Then there's the non-accredited American zoos. Ugh. DeYoung Family Zoo (USA) had a pair of Olive Baboons in this cage when I was there in 2014:

Special Memories Zoo (USA), now shut down, had one Olive Baboon and one Hamadryas Baboon in this tiny enclosure:

Sierra Safari Zoo (USA) had a couple of Olive Baboons in this travesty:

Then there's Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA), here with an employee hand-feeding some Olive Baboons:

Here are two baboons in their outdoor "exhibit":

Mammal Lists:

Gibbons - 143 zoos (64 White-handed, 62 Siamang, 36 White-cheeked, 12 Yellow-cheeked, 7 Southern Grey, 5 Pileated, 3 Silvery, 2 Agile, 1 Eastern Hoolock, with some zoos obviously having multiple types of gibbon)

Elephants - 105 zoos (62 Asian, 53 African, including some zoos with both)

Gorillas - 74
Orangutans - 74
Chimpanzees - 64
Mandrills - 41
Hamadryas Baboons - 31
Bonobos - 14
Olive Baboons - 11
Drills - 8
Geladas - 6

The Baboons at Hodenhagen are actualy Hamadryas Babboons.

 

[snowleopard]

Almost 20 years ago, the DreamWorks animated movie Madagascar (2005) was released and it became a monster hit at the box office. Since then, there's been a couple of sequels, a spinoff film about penguins, and several television series and videogames. The popularity of Ring-tailed Lemurs exploded into the stratosphere and I've seen them at 184 zoos. No other primate species is even at 50% of the number of places that I've seen these critters. AZA zoos, roadside zoos, EAZA zoos, you name and it a lemur with a ringed tail is there!

More than a DOZEN of these zoos has seen me in the same space as Ring-tailed Lemurs, in some kind of walk-through experience. They appear to be relatively harmless to humans and I've not heard of any lemur 'attacks' at zoos.

1- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 1996
2- Point Defiance Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2006
3- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2006
4- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2006
5- Denver Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2006
6- Adelaide Zoo (Australia) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2007
7- Melbourne Zoo (Australia) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2007
8- Minnesota Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2008
9- Montreal Biodome (Canada) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2008
10- Bronx Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2008
11- Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2008
12- Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2008
13- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2008
14- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2008
15- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2008
16- Zoo Atlanta (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2008
17- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2008
18- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2008
19- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2008
20- Disney’s Animal Kingdom (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2008
21- Zoo Miami (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2008
22- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2009
23- Cougar Mountain Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2009
24- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
25- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
26- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed lemur – 2010
27- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
28- Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
29- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
30- Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
31- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
32- Akron Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
33- Buffalo Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
34- North Carolina Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
35- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
36- Nashville Zoo at Grassmere (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
37- Birmingham Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
38- Houston Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
39- Caldwell Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
40- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
41- Cameron Park Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
42- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
43- Utah’s Hogle Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
44- Zoo Boise (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2010
45- Oakland Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2011
46- Happy Hollow Park & Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2011
47- Charles Paddock Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2011
48- Santa Ana Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur, Black Lemur – 2011
49- San Diego Zoo Safari Park (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2011
50- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2011
51- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2011
52- Sacramento Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2011
53- Great Plains Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
54- Blank Park Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
55- Potawatomi Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
56- John Ball Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
57- Potter Park Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
58- Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
59- Franklin Park Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
60- South Carolina Aquarium (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
61- Brevard Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
62- Palm Beach Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
63- Naples Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
64- ZooTampa at Lowry Park (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
65- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
66- Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
67- Little Rock Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
68- Dickerson Park Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
69- Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
70- Tautphaus Park Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
71- Edmonton Valley Zoo (Canada) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2012
72- Bramble Park Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
73- Roosevelt Park Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
74- Chahinkapa Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
75- Hemker Park & Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
76- Lake Superior Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
77- Irvine Park & Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
78- Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
79- DeYoung Family Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
80- Timbavati Wildlife Park (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
81- Wisconsin Deer Park (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
82- Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
83- Peoria Zoo (2014) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
84- Scovill Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
85- Henson Robinson Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
86- Lincoln Children’s Zoo - Nebraska (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
87- Tanganyika Wildlife Park (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
88- Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
89- Pueblo Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2014
90- Tiger Safari (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
91- Amarillo Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
92- Frank Buck Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
93- C.A.R.E. Center for Animal Research & Education (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
94- Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
95- Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
96- In Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue & Educational Center (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
97- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
98- Gators & Friends: Alligator Park & Exotic Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
99- East Texas Gators & Wildlife Park (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
100- Franklin Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
101- Bayou Wildlife Park (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
102- The Texas Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
103- Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
104- Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
105- Exotic Resort Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
106- Austin Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
107- Capital of Texas Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
108- Fort Worth Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
109- Hillcrest Park Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
110- Spring River Park & Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
111- Alameda Park Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
112- Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
113- Out of Africa (USA) - Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
114- Keepers of the Wild Nature Park (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
115- Sierra Safari Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
116- West Coast Game Park Safari (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2015
117- Micke Grove Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2017
118- Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2017
119- Monterey Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2017
120- Wildlife Learning Center (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2017
121- Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2017
122- America’s Teaching Zoo: Moorpark College (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2017
123- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2017
124- Wilderness Walk Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
125- GarLyn Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
126- Roscommon Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
127- Wilderness Trails Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
128- Detroit Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
129- Indian Creek Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
130- Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
131- Washington Park Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
132- Summerfield Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
133- Animal Gardens Petting Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
134- Jo-Don Farms (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
135- Bear Den Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
136- Glacier Ridge Animal Farm (USA) - Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
137- Animal Haven Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
138- Special Memories Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2018
139- Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
140- Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
141- Landgoed Hoenderdaell (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
142- Van Blanckendaell Park (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
143- Diergaarde Blijdorp (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
144- Lille Zoo (France) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
145- Zoo Antwerp (Belgium) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
146- Harry Malter Familiepark (Belgium) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
147- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
148- Pakawi Park (Belgium) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
149- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
150- Safari Parc Monde Sauvage (Belgium) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
151- Mondo Verde (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
152- Frankfurt Zoo (Germany) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
153- Tierpark + Fossilium Bochum (Germany) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
154- Duisburg Zoo (Germany) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
155- TerraZoo (Germany) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
156- BestZOO (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
157- Zoo Veldhoven (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
158- Dierenrijk (Animal Kingdom) (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
159- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
160- Dierenpark de Oliemeulen (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
161- ZooParc Overloon (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
162- Ouwehands Dierenpark (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
163- Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
164- Burgers' Zoo (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
165- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
166- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
167- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
168- Serengeti-Park (Germany) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
169- Tierpark Petermoor (Germany) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
170- Tierpark Strohen (Germany) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
171- Allwetterzoo Munster (Germany) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
172- NaturZoo Rheine (Germany) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
173- Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
174- Dierenpark Amersfoort (Netherlands) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2019
175- Skaerup Zoo (Denmark) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2022
176- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2022
177- Ree Park Safari (Denmark) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2022
178- Munkholm Zoo (Denmark) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2022
179- Aalborg Zoo (Denmark) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2022
180- Odense Zoo (Denmark) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2022
181- Kolmarden Tropicarium (Sweden) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2022
182- Parken Zoo (Sweden) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2022
183- Kristiansand Zoo (Norway) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2022
184- Oregon Zoo (USA) – Ring-tailed Lemur – 2023

Where do I even begin with an assortment of photos for Ring-tailed Lemurs? I've seen this species in great exhibits, junky ones, and many walk-throughs as well. Where I live, there used to be someone who walked a Ring-tailed Lemur around a local park on a leash back when I was younger. They are everywhere!

It doesn't seem difficult to design a spectacular Ring-tailed Lemur exhibit, as a lot of trees and greenery will often do the trick. Woodland Park Zoo (USA) has accomplished this feat:

Caldwell Zoo (USA) is another example of a lush, lemur paradise:

I have always appreciated the very tall trees in the lemur exhibit at Dallas Zoo (USA):

And there are dozens of other examples of terrific Ring-tailed Lemur exhibits that are natural looking and with plenty of climbing opportunities for the primates. I'll try to point out some odd-looking, unique exhibits instead.

Odense Zoo (Denmark) is a wonderful zoo and a place I once called the 'Nashville Zoo of Scandinavia', but I'm not a fan of the stark, barren indoor area for its Ring-tailed Lemurs. (At least outdoors is much more naturalistic)

Zoo Veldhoven (Netherlands) has a very poor Ring-tailed Lemur 'Tire Island', with at least 6 car tires in a small space. That must be a record!

It's unfortunate to see Ring-tailed Lemurs in tiny cages at American roadside zoos such as Roscommon Zoo (USA):

Monterey Zoo (USA) in 2017:

Wisconsin Deer Park (USA) had Ring-tailed Lemurs in what is commonly known as a 'corn crib cage' when I was there in 2014:

East Texas Zoo & Gator Park (USA) had this absolutely puny cage for a solitary male when I was there in 2015. Anyone could hammer together some wood and nails and build a larger enclosure in their own backyard!

I could list crappy Ring-tailed Lemur exhibits in junky American zoos all day long. Here's another one at Timbavati Wildlife Park (USA):

I genuinely thought this exhibit was under construction at Washington Park Zoo (USA), but this is how it looks all the time!

Many zoos certainly like their fake baobab tree displays, such as this one at Blijdorp Zoo (Netherlands):

Check out this baobab tree eyesore in the Ring-tailed Lemur exhibit at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo (USA):

Pueblo Zoo (USA) has Ring-tailed Lemurs in a 1930s-era, WPA exhibit that includes a boat!

Even South Carolina Aquarium (USA) installed a Ring-tailed Lemur exhibit when I was there in 2012:

Usually, the walk-through areas with Ring-tailed Lemurs are quite large, allowing for the smaller primates to avoid the larger primates strolling through on the pathways. But at Harry Malter Familiepark (Belgium), I felt that the indoor area was tight on space. I was initially in here alone, but soon a family came through and then a group of lemurs crashed in after them, and we were in very close quarters and the kids were petting the lemurs. Being in such close proximity, without many obvious escape routes, could potentially lead to bites. However, this is just one example and in all other walk-through lemur exhibits there was never an issue.

Here's me feeding 'craisins' (dried cranberries) to some boisterous Ring-tailed Lemurs at Tanganyika Wildlife Park (USA) in 2014:

 

[JVM]

It would be interesting to know how many zoos held ringtail lemurs in the nineties. They are often connected to the Madagascar films but I remember seeing them in a few places in the late nineties. I'm sure there's been an increase but I am wondering how drastic, or if it might be similar how meerkats' mainstream popularity is thought to have began with the Meerkats United documentary but is often attributed to the Lion King instead, or occasionally Meerkat Manor, both of which I think reflected growth from the initial position.

What was feeding the lemurs like?

 

[Maguari]

It would be interesting to know how many zoos held ringtail lemurs in the nineties. They are often connected to the Madagascar films but I remember seeing them in a few places in the late nineties. I'm sure there's been an increase but I am wondering how drastic, or if it might be similar how meerkats' mainstream popularity is thought to have began with the Meerkats United documentary but is often attributed to the Lion King instead, or occasionally Meerkat Manor, both of which I think reflected growth from the initial position.

Certainly Ring-tailed Lemurs were common zoo animals in the UK and Europe pre-Madagascar. Public recognition of lemurs certainly went up after then*, but I'm not sure actual holdings really did over here. The UK and France in particular have always been lemur-heavy.

*public recognition of Fossa went up massively as well - it's very hard to stand and watch Chester's for any great time without someone mentioning the films!

 

[snowleopard]

What was feeding the lemurs like?

Feeding the lemurs was an amazing experience, one that was full of energy and vitality as they jumped on my legs. Tanganyika Wildlife Park is a non-AZA zoo (their personal choice as they've never applied) that specializes in feeding experiences with Ring-tailed Lemurs, Pygmy Hippos, Indian Rhinos, Lorikeets, Giraffes and even tortoises and bunnies. There's an 'unlimited pass' that allows a visitor to go back and forth and feed animals all day long.

On a side note, Tanganyika is also a zoo that breeds a lot of animals that are sold to other zoos. I went behind the scenes during my visit and the zoo had 15 Snow Leopards and 15 Clouded Leopards in off-show enclosures. Also, there was a whole whack of rarities at the zoo back then: Cuvier's Gazelle, Lowland Anoa, Ratel, East Javan Langur, etc.

 

[Dassie rat]

Certainly Ring-tailed Lemurs were common zoo animals in the UK and Europe pre-Madagascar.

I agree. I remember when ring-tailed lemur exhibits seemed to outnumber exhibits of all other lemur species put together. It was a nice change to see other species when I visited Madagascar in 1987 and when I visited Paris Zoo Vincennes in 1988. It was the first time I saw greater bamboo lemurs, aye-ayes and fork-marked dwarf lemurs, as well as the only time I saw red-tailed sportive lemurs in captivity. Unfortunately, I never saw the hairy-eared dwarf lemur when I visited the zoo on subsequent occasions

 

[snowleopard]

While not nearly at the level of Ring-tailed Lemurs (184 zoos), I've seen Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs at 76 zoos. Only perhaps a half-dozen of these are walk-through exhibits where visitors are in with lemurs.

1- Calgary Zoo (Canada) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 1986
2- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2006
3- Melbourne Zoo (Australia) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2007
4- Detroit Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2008
5- Central Park Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2008
6- Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2008
7- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2008
8- Zoo Atlanta (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2008
9- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2008
10- Cougar Mountain Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2009
11- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2010
12- Tulsa Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2010
13- Saint Louis Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2010
14- Louisville Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2010
15- Binder Park Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2010
16- Akron Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2010
17- Philadelphia Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2010
18- Baton Rouge Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2010
19- Audubon Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2010
20- Dallas Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2010
21- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2010
22- Utah’s Hogle Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2010
23- Happy Hollow Park & Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2011
24- Santa Ana Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2011
25- Sacramento Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2011
26- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2012
27- Erie Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2012
28- Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2012
29- Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2012
30- Little Rock Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2012
31- Dickerson Park Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2012
32- Topeka Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2012
33- Edmonton Valley Zoo (Canada) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2012
34- Bramble Park Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2014
35- Roosevelt Park Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2014
36- Chahinkapa Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2014
37- Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2014
38- Timbavati Wildlife Park (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2014
39- Lincoln Children’s Zoo - Nebraska (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2014
40- Tiger Safari (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2015
41- Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2015
42- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2015
43- Ellen Trout Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2015
44- The Texas Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2015
45- Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2015
46- Reid Park Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2015
47- Micke Grove Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2017
48- Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2017
49- Monterey Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2017
50- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2017
51- Border City Petting Zoo (Canada) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2018
52- Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2018
53- Point Defiance Zoo (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
54- Van Blanckendaell Park (Netherlands) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
55- Familiepark Plaswijckpark (Netherlands) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
56- Lille Zoo (France) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
57- Pakawi Park (Belgium) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
58- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
59- Safari Parc Monde Sauvage (Belgium) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
60- Cologne Zoo (Germany) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
61- Duisburg Zoo (Germany) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
62- Zoo Veldhoven (Netherlands) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
63- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
64- ZooParc Overloon (Netherlands) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
65- Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
66- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
67- Erlebnis Zoo Hannover (Germany) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
68- Serengeti-Park (Germany) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
69- Allwetterzoo Munster (Germany) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
70- NaturZoo Rheine (Germany) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
71- Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen (Netherlands) - Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
72- Dierenpark Amersfoort (Netherlands) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2019
73- Randers Regnskov (Denmark) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2022
74- Parken Zoo (Sweden) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2022
75- Copenhagen Zoo (Denmark) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2022
76- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur – 2023

@robreintjes

Not surprisingly, the quality of exhibits runs the gamut from beautiful, natural looking green habitats to tiny, ugly cages.

A facility in Texas known as Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo (USA) had this disaster of a Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur cage in 2015. Thankfully it's now been demolished.

Another zoo in Texas, Ellen Trout Zoo (USA), which currently only has provisional AZA accreditation, had Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs in a corn crib cage in 2015.

Timbavati Wildlife Park (USA) had a brutally tiny Ring-tailed Lemur enclosure and they had one the same size for Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs when I was there in 2014. Just slap down some woodchips and then attach a few skinny branches and you are good to go!

Some zoos have 'Lemur Rocks', such as Smithsonian's National Zoo and this example for Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs and Ring-tailed Lemurs (in 2010) at Louisville Zoo (USA):

Edmonton Valley Zoo (Canada) opened its Makira Outpost exhibit in 2007 and it holds Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs as well as two other lemur species. There was also a pair of American White Pelicans there on one of my visits!

Allwetterzoo Munster (Germany) had a scenic island for Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs when I was there in 2019:

The stunning Lemur Forest at NaturZoo Rheine (Germany) was home to 5 lemur species when I visited in 2019 and the whole thing opened in 2016.

@Maguari

One of the most common containment barriers for Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs is a watery moat, such as this example at Safari Parc Monde Sauvage (Belgium):

Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen (Netherlands) claims to have Europe's largest Tropical House and one of the exhibits is for Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs. Most interesting here is some of the excellent signage:

@Mr Gharial

There are now 3 recognized subspecies of Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur, but because primate taxonomy has changed so much over the years, I'm hesitant to say if I've seen any of them. I think that for the most part I've come across the 'standard' lemurs, but there are some distinct coat patterns on some of these inquisitive primates that give them the name 'White-belted Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur'. Here's one at Newquay Zoo (UK):

@hmb_zoo

Lemurs:

Ring-tailed Lemurs - 184 zoos

Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs - 76 zoos

 

[Mr Gharial]

Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen (Netherlands) claims to have Europe's largest Tropical House and one of the exhibits is for Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs. Most interesting here is some of the excellent signage:

@Mr Gharial

Wildlands is one of my favourite zoos partially because of their storytelling, which is why the signage is like this.
I already gave an explanation of the "lore" when I made my photo report, but I'll do a quick one here too:
Wildlands is split up into three "worlds", each of which has its own mascot, story and theme.
In Jungola, the tropical area, 'Jungle Jim' is the mascot. There's a general theme around survival and discovery and an overarching story of Jim crashing into the jungle and having to survive. There's crash sites and pages from his book all over the region.
(the lore goes surprisingly deep for a zoo exhibit and I could honestly write about it for a while but I doubt anyone would be interested)

Not only does this signage make it visually more interesting, but by telling us about animals through Jungle Jim, reading about the animals becomes way more interesting. The way it's written makes it feel much more like a conversation, or like an educator during an animal talk. Much more engaging than normal signage in my opinion. Jungle Jim is also undoubtably inspired by Freek Vonk, a Dutch "adventure biologist" (similar to the likes of Steve Erwin).

Jungle Jim himself can also be found in the Rimbula greenhouse, where he gives edutational shows and also sticks around for answering questions. I managed to get his signature on my 'Dutch Zoo Guides' as a joke, since I listed him as a free-roamer.

 

[NNM.]

I was surprised to not see the Bronx Zoo's "Madagascar!" exhibit mentioned for ring-tailed lemurs. Maybe it will be mentioned for collared lemurs, if they are discussed.

 

[PossumRoach]

I was surprised to not see the Bronx Zoo's "Madagascar!" exhibit mentioned for ring-tailed lemurs. Maybe it will be mentioned for collared lemurs, if they are discussed.

It is a complete indoor display making it far from perfect. I also heard that the lemurs have a smaller off display holding area which probably doesn’t help.

 

[snowleopard]

@Mr Gharial The storytelling aspect of the Jungola Tropical House at Emmen is very much reminiscent of Disney, especially with the idea of a character lost in the jungle. The theming there is well done and in my opinion the Jungola building is the best part of the zoo. It's terrific and the signage adds to the exhibit complex in a major way.

@NNM. I marveled at the details in the lemur enclosures at Bronx Zoo’s Madagascar House when I was there in 2008 when I saw the then brand-new exhibit, but it is a shame that all the lemurs never have access to an outside area. That aspect hasn't aged well 16 years later as not many zoos now keep lemurs entirely indoors. Not only that, but as @PossumRoach pointed out, the lemurs at Bronx Zoo are taken away each evening from their all-indoor exhibit because they are too hard on the vegetation, and for approximately 17 hours per day are contained in small, functional steel cages with basic furnishings. Anyone who has watched the TV series The Zoo knows that the Bronx Zoo’s lemurs spend 17 hours per day in extremely basic accommodation and then 7 hours on-show to the public but never with access to an outdoor area. I remember watching and being genuinely surprised that the television series was so open about how they maintain their lemurs. The off-show cages are basically what you would see at a roadside zoo and the lemurs spend three-quarters of their lives in them. Meanwhile, some European zoos allow their lemurs full access to outdoor forested zones 24/7!

 

[Philipine eagle]

@Mr Gharial The storytelling aspect of the Jungola Tropical House at Emmen is very much reminiscent of Disney, especially with the idea of a character lost in the jungle. The theming there is well done and in my opinion the Jungola building is the best part of the zoo. It's terrific and the signage adds to the exhibit complex in a major way.

@NNM. I marveled at the details in the lemur enclosures at Bronx Zoo’s Madagascar House when I was there in 2008 when I saw the then brand-new exhibit, but it is a shame that all the lemurs never have access to an outside area. That aspect hasn't aged well 16 years later as not many zoos now keep lemurs entirely indoors. Not only that, but as @PossumRoach pointed out, the lemurs at Bronx Zoo are taken away each evening from their all-indoor exhibit because they are too hard on the vegetation, and for approximately 17 hours per day are contained in small, functional steel cages with basic furnishings. Anyone who has watched the TV series The Zoo knows that the Bronx Zoo’s lemurs spend 17 hours per day in extremely basic accommodation and then 7 hours on-show to the public but never with access to an outdoor area. I remember watching and being genuinely surprised that the television series was so open about how they maintain their lemurs. The off-show cages are basically what you would see at a roadside zoo and the lemurs spend three-quarters of their lives in them. Meanwhile, some European zoos allow their lemurs full access to outdoor forested zones 24/7!

This is certainly a very shamefull situation. Is there a specific reason for the lack of an outdoors enclosure? I can understand that the front side of the building, Astor court, is a protected site, but if I remember well, there's enough space at the back side of the building.

 

[JVM]

Is the fact the Bronx Zoo does not keep the lemurs in the exhibit overnight a result of the quality of the exhibit itself or just a very poor management decision worthy of discussion casting a bit of a shadow over a space that may not itself be poorly designed? Genuinely asking for more information, not sarcasm.

Interestingly although black and white ruffed lemurs are extremely common, I've only seen them for sure once at Hamerton last week. It's very likely I saw them as a child somewhere but I can't recall with total certainty.

 

[snowleopard]

I don't really have any answers, @Philipine eagle and @JVM for why the Bronx Zoo keeps its lemurs (certainly the Ring-tailed variety for sure) in tiny, off-show metal cages for approximately 17 hours each day. When the Madagascar complex opened in 2008, it cost a tremendous amount of money and in the past 16 years the Bronx Zoo has never again opened a substantial exhibit of any kind due to financial reasons. If that building was opened this year, I'm confident that there would be outdoor habitats for all the lemurs even if it cost a fortune.

Although 2008 might not seem like a long time ago, it was a different era and lemurs being kept indoors in a brand-new exhibit wasn't as shocking as it is now. Omaha opened Expedition Madagascar in 2010 and most of those lemurs are all indoors as well. However, there are many European zoos that allow their lemurs access to large outdoor yards 24/7, but of course there are zoos across the Atlantic that also lock their primates in at night. The irony with the Bronx Zoo situation is that the lemurs are already indoors, but are so destructive on their environment that they are enticed into a different, smaller indoor area. It's all on the television series for viewers to see.

Actually, this makes me think of a couple of zoo books about elephants that I recently read and how more and more zoos are giving their elephants 24/7 access to both indoor and outdoor areas. I think back to the Zoo Diaries television show about the Toronto Zoo that I'd watch in the 2000s. Each day, the zoo's elephants would be persuaded and bribed to return to their cement stalls and be locked in for most of their lives. It's pitiful if one thinks of those intelligent creatures swaying back and forth on concrete for thousands of hours every year.

Flash forward to 2015 and when I had a tour of the Elephant Barn at Reid Park Zoo, I was told that other than a rare occasion, which would usually be weather related, the elephant herd would have full access to their outdoor areas at all hours of the day. For one hour each morning, the elephants would all be brought inside and checked over for ailments, given foot massages, target trained and other similar keeper duties, and then they were let out for 23 hours of whatever the heck they wanted to do. The zoos that were still locking their elephants inside (and some were still chaining them as well) felt it was a revolutionary shift in taking care of elephants, and yet it was less than a decade ago. Sometimes, there's monumental changes and now there are many zoos that allow a long list of species 24/7 access to both indoor and outdoor zones. It's wonderful to see.

 

[snowleopard]

There is one lemur species miles ahead of the rest (Ring-tailed Lemurs - 184 zoos), then Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs (76 zoos) and now Red Ruffed Lemurs at 75 zoos.

The next lemur species is at...only 14 zoos. Clearly, there are three species that dominate the zoo scene and after that it's slim pickings!

1- Woodland Park Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 1996
2- Zurich Zoo (Switzerland) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2003
3- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2006
4- Denver Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2006
5- Minnesota Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2008
6- Bronx Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2008
7- Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2008
8- Indianapolis Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2008
9- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2008
10- Mountain View Conservation Centre (Canada) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2008
11- Zoo Miami (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2008
12- Cougar Mountain Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2009
13- Sedgwick County Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
14- Kansas City Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
15- Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
16- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) –Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
17- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
18- Buffalo Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
19- Maryland Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
20- North Carolina Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
21- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
22- Caldwell Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
23- San Antonio Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
24- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2010
25- Happy Hollow Park & Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2011
26- Charles Paddock Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2011
27- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2011
28- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2011
29- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
30- Potter Park Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
31- Erie Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
32- St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
33- Palm Beach Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
34- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
35- Jackson Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
36- Dickerson Park Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
37- Tautphaus Park Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2012
38- Dakota Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2014
39- Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2014
40- Miller Park Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2014
41- Henson Robinson Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2014
42- Tanganyika Wildlife Park (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2014
43- Lee Richardson Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2014
44- Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2015
45- Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2015
46- East Texas Gators & Wildlife Park (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2015
47- Franklin Drive-Thru Safari (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2015
48- The Texas Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2015
49- Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2015
50- Austin Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2015
51- Micke Grove Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2017
52- Safari West Wildlife Preserve (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2017
53- Monterey Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2017
54- Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2018
55- Special Memories Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2018
56- Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
57- Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
58- Zoo Antwerp (Belgium) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
59- Pakawi Park (Belgium) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
60- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
61- Safari Parc Monde Sauvage (Belgium) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
62- Zoo Neuwied (Germany) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
63- Cologne Zoo (Germany) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
64- Wuppertal Zoo (Germany) –Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
65- ZOOM Erlebniswelt (Germany) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
66- Dierenrijk (Animal Kingdom) (Netherlands) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
67- Beekse Bergen (Netherlands) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
68- Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
69- Berlin Tierpark (Germany) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
70- NaturZoo Rheine (Germany) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
71- Dierenpark Amersfoort (Netherlands) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2019
72- Skaerup Zoo (Denmark) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2022
73- Ree Park Safari (Denmark) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2022
74- Oregon Zoo (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2023
75- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Red Ruffed Lemur – 2023

@MagpieGoose

Woodland Park Zoo (USA) has had Red Ruffed Lemurs for decades, in an exhibit with some very tall trees:

Minnesota Zoo (USA) had Red Ruffed Lemurs and Ring-tailed Lemurs together, which is very common at zoos, inside their Tropical House when I was last there in 2014. Who knows, maybe those lemurs were pulled off exhibit into a smaller off-show area just like the ones in the Bronx.

@geomorph

Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) has had quite a variety of lemurs over the years, including some inside their famous Small Mammal House as well as in this memorable rocky outdoor exhibit.

@Gibbonsagainstgravity

Then there's Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA), a facility that's never been afraid to keep primates indoors year-round. Here's the Red Ruffed Lemur exhibit from 2016:

@Moebelle

I saw Ring-tailed and Red Ruffed Lemurs together on this rocky island at North Carolina Zoo (USA) in 2010:

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) surprised the North American zoo scene by opening a walk-through lemur exhibit in 2010, even though at least 200+ European zoos already had the same thing. It was a popular addition to the zoo, but is the walk-through even open these days post-Covid? I know that it had previously closed down for a long time.

@pachyderm pro

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (USA) had some tiny, rather mediocre mammal exhibits at Jambo Junction when I was there in 2012. Their Red Ruffed Lemurs were inside this small glass and tile box. Ugh.

There's always cheap builds such as these wood and wire cages for 4 lemur species at Wildwood Wildlife Park (USA) in 2014:

Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch (USA) had a row of dark and dingy lemur cages, including one for Red Ruffed Lemurs, in 2015:

There's a whole bunch of awful enclosures for Red Ruffed Lemurs at roadside American zoos. An example would be this cage at East Texas Gators & Wildlife Park (USA) in rural Texas, with lemurs inside an area that is perhaps only 7 feet wide. The hillbilly sign says 'Red Rough Lemurs' and there's Christmas tree lights across the top. When it rains, that metal roof must echo terribly for the lemurs. This is the kind of crap that is still far too common in the USA, but if you head to Europe it's practically impossible to find a zoo enclosure this abysmal.

Artis Royal Zoo (Netherlands) has Red Ruffed Lemurs in abundance!

@twilighter

At the bird park known as Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands), there's a massive walk-through exhibit for Red Ruffed and Ring-tailed Lemurs. I sat on a bench and then got up to take a photo as a lemur had joined me! There were lemurs bouncing around in treetops, zero staff members whatsoever, and I mainly had the place to myself. It was an amazing experience to see so many lemurs doing whatever they wanted in a lush, enrichment filled environment.

There's some wacky lemur exhibits out there, perhaps none more so than this setup at Cologne Zoo (Germany). I wasn't a fan, but some zoo nerds like it.

@Toddy

There's certainly a contrast between the Black-and-white Ruffed and Red Ruffed Lemurs. I'm slightly more partial to the red types, as that colour is really spectacular in the sunshine. But lemurs in general make for great zoo displays, as they are active and inquisitive primates.

@Jogy

Lemurs:

Ring-tailed Lemurs - 184 zoos

Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs - 76 zoos

Red Ruffed Lemurs - 75 zoos

The next most common lemur species (stay tuned!) - 14 zoos

 

[pachyderm pro]

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) surprised the North American zoo scene by opening a walk-through lemur exhibit in 2010, even though at least 200+ European zoos already had the same thing. It was a popular addition to the zoo, but is the walk-through even open these days post-Covid? I know that it had previously closed down for a long time.

It is no longer a walkthrough unfortunately; hasn't been since before the pandemic. Both entrances were boarded up last year, implying that this is very much a permanent change.

Surprised to see Zurich wasn't highlighted. I know it's been over two decades since you were there, but do you have any memory of finding any of the lemurs in the Masoala?

 

[twilighter]

It is no longer a walkthrough unfortunately; hasn't been since before the pandemic. Both entrances were boarded up last year, implying that this is very much a permanent change.

Surprised to see Zurich wasn't highlighted. I know it's been over two decades since you were there, but do you have any memory of finding any of the lemurs in the Masoala?

They are not hard to find there

Red-ruffed Lemur Masoala

• twilighter
• 25 Sep 2023

 

[15399]

I've been enjoying this great thread, and while I haven't posted in a while, that wasn't due to lack of interest, but due to being on a wildlife-centric trip to some fairly remote field stations, with rather inconsistent access to the internet. Rather excitingly, this trip marked my first time seeing primates in the wild, which was a truly incredible experience I hope all Zoo Chatters have the opportunity to experience some day! A few thoughts on the species posted about while I was gone (and one new thought on an earlier species):

Black Howler Monkeys are a type of primate that has switched families, showing how primate taxonomy has changed over the years. Once part of Cebidae, but now Atelidae, howlers are fantastic when making noise. I've come across them at 34 zoos, which is more zoos than the 5 species of mangabey I've listed combined! I've never seen them in a Canadian or Australian zoo and only in 4 European zoos. This is a type of primate that I've come across at almost exclusively American zoos and every single one of them (except for Wildlife World) was AZA-accredited at the time. No roadside facilities for these guys, but perhaps for other zoo nerds that has not been the case. I especially racked up a lot of sightings in 2008 and 2010, on big summer trips when I was at loads of AZA zoos.

1- San Francisco Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2006
2- Denver Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2006
3- Lincoln Park Zoo - Illinois (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2008
4- Smithsonian’s National Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2008
5- Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2008
6- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2008
7- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2008
8- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2008
9- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2008
10- Zoo Miami (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2008
11- Oregon Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2010
12- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2010
13- Tulsa Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2010
14- Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2010
15- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey– 2010
16- Buffalo Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2010
17- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2010
18- Audubon Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2010
19- Houston Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2010
20- Gladys Porter Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2010
21- ABQ BioPark Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2010
22- Utah’s Hogle Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2010
23- Santa Ana Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2011
24- John Ball Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2012
25- Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2012
26- Palm Beach Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2012
27- Hattiesburg Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2012
28- Tanganyika Wildlife Park (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2014
29- Alexandria Zoo (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2015
30- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Black Howler Monkey – 2019
31- BestZOO (Netherlands) – Black Howler Monkey – 2019
32- Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands) – Black Howler Monkey – 2019
33- Berlin Zoo (Germany) – Black Howler Monkey – 2019
34- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – Black Howler Monkey – 2023

Here are two Black Howler Monkeys at the top of one of their fake trees inside the cavernous Lied Jungle at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA). This great zoo has had the species for as long as I can remember.

@Dhole dude

Oregon Zoo (USA) used to have an Amazon: Flooded Forest complex years ago that consisted of two or three exhibits made to look like one entity. Up in the canopy would be Black Howler Monkeys, White-faced Sakis and other mammals, while the lower areas would have Agouti, Dwarf Caiman, Arrau Turtle, Pacu, Arowanna, Cardinal Tetra, etc. It's all long gone and very few images exist of that complex. I took these two photos in 2010:

I remember liking the rainforest building at Mesker Park Zoo (USA), also in 2010, with Black Howler Monkeys and Squirrel Monkeys in a mixed-species, netted exhibit next to the visitor boardwalk. This whole building was very new at that time.

A similar setup of Black Howler Monkeys and Squirrel Monkeys together was something I saw at Buffalo Zoo (USA) that same summer.

But, unfortunately, there's also the old-fashioned Primate, Cat & Aquatic House at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (USA), with their Black Howler Monkeys in here when I toured the building in 2010:

And another cement, mock-rock, all-indoor affair for Black Howler Monkeys at John Ball Zoo (USA) in 2012. It looks easy to clean!

Tanganyika Wildlife Park (USA) had a newish exhibit for Black Howler Monkeys in 2014 that consisted of a lot of wood and grass. I'd take this one over the all-indoor boxes.

My least favourite primate accommodation has to be the infamous corn-crib cages, with their cement floors and metal roofs that echo crazily when it rains. The otherwise good Alexandria Zoo (USA) in Louisiana kept Black Howler Monkeys here in 2015:

After seeing Black Howler Monkeys at many American zoos between 2006 and 2015, imagine my surprise when I departed for European shores and ended up at Pairi Daiza (Belgium). That zoo has its Gorilla volcanoes, multiple Giant Panda exhibits, an Orangutan temple and other outrageous items, not forgetting American Black Bears and Brown Bears all roaming an enclosure together (apparently not any longer though!), and yet another surprise was a walk-through exhibit with Black Howler Monkeys. One ran right over my head, something that I'll likely never experience in a North American zoo.

All 3 photos by @KevinB

Apenheul Primate Park (Netherlands) has this primate species on a lush, green island:

Here's one chilling up in the trees:

@Elko

When I went on my most recent road trip down through Oregon, California and Arizona, my last encounter with Black Howler Monkeys was at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA). Maybe, years ago, I would have said this exhibit was adequate for primates, with the netting, the sunlight, the shade, a number of branches and enrichment balls, etc. But after Pairi Daiza's spacious walk-through habitat, and the lushness of Apenheul's jungle, suddenly there is no comparison. I'm sorry, but this 2023 photo shows a bland, tired exhibit that's really not acceptable these days.

My Mammal Lists:

Gibbons - 143 zoos and 192 exhibits (9 species: 64 White-handed, 62 Siamang, 36 Northern White-cheeked, 12 Yellow-cheeked, 7 Southern Grey, 5 Pileated, 3 Silvery, 2 Agile, 1 Eastern Hoolock, with some zoos having multiple species)

Elephants - 104 zoos (61 Asian, 53 African, including some zoos with both)

Spider Monkeys - 91 zoos and 95 exhibits (5 species: Black-headed, Colombian Brown, Geoffroy's, Red-faced Black, White-bellied)

Macaques - 80 zoos and 113 exhibits (12 species: 25 Lion-tailed, 23 Japanese, 16 Barbary, 13 Sulawesi Crested, 10 Pig-tailed, 9 Rhesus, 7 Crab-eating, 4 Bonnet, 2 Stump-tailed, 2 Toque, 1 Booted, 1 Tonkean, including some zoos with multiple species)

Squirrel Monkeys - 78 zoos (multiple species)

Colobus Monkeys - 72 zoos (3 species: Angolan, King, Mantled Guereza)

Gorillas - 74 (2 species: Western Lowland, plus 1 Eastern Lowland at Antwerp Zoo)

Orangutans - 74 (2 species: Bornean, Sumatran)

Capuchins - 71 zoos and 81 exhibits (7 species: 44 Tufted, 19 White-faced, 9 Golden-bellied, 5 White-fronted, 2 Crested, 1 Hooded, 1 Wedge-capped, with 10 zoos having two species)

Chimpanzees - 64

Langurs - 48 zoos (6 species: 17 Francois', 9 Dusky Leaf, 8 East Javan, 6 Hanuman, 6 Silvery Lutung, 2 Red-shanked Douc)

Baboons - 41 zoos and 49 exhibits (4 species: 31 Hamadryas, 11 Olive, 6 Guinea, 1 Yellow, with some zoos having multiple species)

Mandrills - 41

Black Howler Monkeys - 34 zoos

Mangabeys - 30 zoos (5 species: 11 Red-capped, 9 Black Crested, 6 Golden-bellied, 3 White-naped, 1 Sooty)

Douroucoulis - 22 zoos (5 species: Grey-legged, Humboldt's, Nancy Ma's, Southern Bolivian, Three-striped)

Patas Monkeys - 20 zoos

Titi Monkeys - 19 zoos (3 species: 11 White-eared, 7 Coppery, 1 Red-bellied)

Bonobos - 14
Drills - 8
Geladas - 6

Do you happen to know if all of these black howler sightings were of the Southern black howler monkey, also known as the black-and-gold howler monkey, Alouatta caraya? Interestingly, A. caraya is the only howler species to be so strikingly sexually dimorphic, in all the other species both males and females are the same color. There are a handful of other black howler monkey species too, including the Yucatan black howler monkey, which as of last week was the first primate species I saw in the wild! The only zoo I am aware of housing this species is the Belize Zoo, so I don't think you would've encountered this species, but interested to hear if any of the other howler species were seen on your travels.

Maybe I'll recommend to the zoo that they build an immersive Callitrichidae Corner, or is that not a catchy name? How about Callitrix Cuties? Or even Cali Cuties, with a California vibe?

For a while now, I've thought that a Callitrichid Conservation Center, housing multiple pairs of a handful of callitrichid species side-by-side would make for an engaging exhibit. These are fascinating primates, and visitors tend to love animals that are often active and look "baby-like", both of which apply to the callitrichids. Certainly interesting that San Diego doesn't have many callitrichid species though, it seems like a no-brainer that they would have at least a few!

The very first time that I can remember seeing the species was at Lincoln Park Zoo (USA) in 2008. Here's an image of their exhibit:

@geomorph

Lincoln Park is a fitting first place to see this species- in the early 2000's they facilitated an import of pied tamarins from European zoos. This has always been a rare species in US zoos- although I am hopeful it has a long future, as a handful of zoos appear to be really dedicated to the species, including the three facilities I've seen the species at (Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Toledo)

Public recognition of lemurs certainly went up after then*, but I'm not sure actual holdings really did over here. The UK and France in particular have always been lemur-heavy.

I only have data for AZA zoos, so don't know if this applies to other regions, but from 2000-2015 there was a fairly steady increase in the number of ring-tailed lemurs in AZA zoos. Whether this translated into additional holders (or how many additional holders) is not something I know the answer to, but regaredless it has been a very popular species within AZA zoos for a while now.

While not nearly at the level of Ring-tailed Lemurs (184 zoos), I've seen Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs at 76 zoos. Only perhaps a half-dozen of these are walk-through exhibits where visitors are in with lemurs.

This is a species that's a personal favorite of mine, and one that no matter how many times I see I will never complain about! One really cool thing is that these are the world's largest pollinators, and have actually display mutual co-evolution with the Ravenala palm. The inside cavity of the Ravenala, where the pollen is located, is shaped like the snout of a ruffed lemur, making for a really fascinating relationship between this plant and the lemurs. Are there any zoos which display a Ravenala palm in or near their ruffed lemur habitat?

It is a complete indoor display making it far from perfect. I also heard that the lemurs have a smaller off display holding area which probably doesn’t help.

While I'm not going to comment on this being an indoor exhibit, as there has been a multitude of discussion on indoor primate exhibits in multiple other threads already, @snowleopard hasn't been mentioning only the absolute best exhibits for each species mentioned, but a variety of notable exhibits both good, bad, and in between. Bronx's Madagascar!, no matter what your opinion of, is undeniably a very notable lemur exhibit, so I can understand why some would've expected it to be mentioned. Personally, I am a big fan of Bronx's Madagascar! exhibit, and what's really awesome about it is that it's one of the few zoos to display ring-tailed lemurs in a spiny forest setting, which is way more accurate to their wild habitat than the multitude of zoos with rainforest exhibits for them. The mixed-species elements are also really interesting- as that exhibit displays two species of lemurs alongside radiated tortoises and multiple bird species, really showing a holistic display of the Madagascar spiny forest ecosystem, instead of focusing purely on the ever-so-popular ring-tailed lemur.