Fantastic lemurs
29 October 2017
This weekend, all the amazing lemurs are being highlighted a little extra around the world. This is being done to raise awareness about the conservation of the world's lemurs, which are sadly threatened with extinction. There are 21 different lemur species and they all live on the island of Madagascar off the east coast of Africa.
At Parken Zoo, there are three different species living: red-bellied lemur (vulnerable), Alaotran gentle lemur (critically endangered), and ring-tailed lemur (endangered).
To preserve endangered animal species and prevent them from becoming extinct, efforts are required at several points in the chain. In zoos, we can contribute through education, breeding programmes, and research to create a gene bank and, at the same time, learn more about the species' behaviour and needs. Conservation work in zoos is termed ex-situ, which means the work is carried out elsewhere than in the animal species' natural habitat. Conservation measures are also carried out in-situ, meaning on-site in the area where the species lives or has lived previously. We at Parken Zoo contribute to several such projects, for example: The Lemur Conservation Association and Save Our Species. You also want to contribute or know more, visit www.saveourspecies.org and www.aeecl.org.
