South Lakes Wild Animal Park The perils of free-ranging lemurs

Pertinax said:
Surely there are public health issues here? After all dogs aren't allowed in food shops etc etc. I don't know if Lemurs cover their feet and hands with their own urine like squirrel monkeys do but it still sounds like a health hazard having them running around near food, quite apart from any actual aggressive actions.
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The food areas are away from the 'free ranging' lemur areas, seperated by gates, which amusingly say 'don't let the monkeys out'. However, on all my visits there has been the odd ringtail or two around by the cafe and entrance.
The thought of a cafe being within the free ranging area would be chaos, and incidents like the one reported would probably be occurring daily!
 
Marcellus said:
The food areas are away from the 'free ranging' lemur areas, The thought of a cafe being within the free ranging area would be chaos, and incidents like the one reported would probably be occurring daily!
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Oh, I see. I couldn't believe they would deliberately allow lemurs to mix with people eating & around food tables. Still, even the odd escapee could be a hazard...;)
 
Pertinax said:
Oh, I see. I couldn't believe they would deliberately allow lemurs to mix with people eating & around food tables. Still, even the odd escapee could be a hazard...;)
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Arpenhaul, has a troop of free range ;] squrriel monkeys next to a public food eating area!
Would like to think that the frontrunners of this style of exhibits were doing whats best for animal and public???
 
Marcellus said:
The food areas are away from the 'free ranging' lemur areas, seperated by gates, which amusingly say 'don't let the monkeys out'. However, on all my visits there has been the odd ringtail or two around by the cafe and entrance.
The thought of a cafe being within the free ranging area would be chaos, and incidents like the one reported would probably be occurring daily!
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They do have a group of free ranging Ring-tailed lemurs that have the whole park bar from the walk thru, which houses other types of lemurs aswell. Thats why the entrance is built that way and also why there are signs on the exit about watvhing out for lemurs.

I thought this was stange to allow them access to the whole park.
 
taun said:
They do have a group of free ranging Ring-tailed lemurs that have the whole park bar from the walk thru, which houses other types of lemurs aswell. Thats why the entrance is built that way and also why there are signs on the exit about watvhing out for lemurs.

I thought this was stange to allow them access to the whole park.
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They used to have the run of the park they now are supposedly confined just to the walk thru but they do have a habit of getting out.
 
The apenheul monkeys mentioned above - sorry, don't know how to include a quotation in my posting - are very separate from the cafe area, even if they are right next door. On a recent visit (August 2008) there were staff everywhere to prevent animal-human interaction (a pity really; I was looking forward to having a woolly monkey on my lap or a lemur on my head).
 
taun said:
I thought this was stange to allow them access to the whole park.
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Belfast had free-ranging ringtails last time I went, being fed M&Ms by a crowd of schoolgirls.

sooty mangabey said:
The apenheul monkeys mentioned above - sorry, don't know how to include a quotation in my posting - are very separate from the cafe area, even if they are right next door. On a recent visit (August 2008) there were staff everywhere to prevent animal-human interaction (a pity really; I was looking forward to having a woolly monkey on my lap or a lemur on my head).
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The first time I went to Apenheul about 8 years ago there was a lot more interaction with the monkeys. No feeding allowed obviously, but visitors encouraged the squirrel monkeys to run over them and sit on their heads etc, which seemed to be harmless and was great fun. Also the woolly monkeys were walk-through as well, I got my glasses stolen and taken up a tree (my fault as I disobeyed the instructions to remove them, but then I wouldn't have been able to see anything). When I went again more recently no animal contact was allowed, according to the staff because visitors had been bitten. A pity really because it was a wonderful experience for visitors, and I imagine enriching for the animals, who have plenty of room to keep away from people if they wish.
 
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