Lemurs - Preparing for breeding

If Tolkien looks hopeful (and remarkably appealing,) it's because he and Medusa are preparing to be prospective mates at the Philadelphia Zoo. For endangered species, such as aye-aye, keeping the gene pool vital is critical. So the Duke Lemur Center collaborates with other approved institutions around the world to carefully and purposefully breed these precious biological treasures. The breeding programs for each species are managed by a Species Survival Plan (SSP), coordinated through the American Zoological Association, which assures that genetic lines are kept viable (And you thought getting your dates past your parents was rough!)



Before Medusa and Tolkien can travel to their "romantic" rendezvous, they are receiving complete physicals by our Veterinary Department. When they reach Philadelphia, they will be in quarantine for a month (typical for all zoo to zoo shipments) to assure that no undetected diseases slip from one institution to the next.

The Species Survival Plans work both ways for the Lemur Center. June Bug, a Pygmy slow loris, just came to the Lemur Center to breed. June Bug is huge! As Lemur Veterinarian, Bobby Schoppler said, "It's like we got two for the price of one!" June Bug weighs considerably more than the average Pygmy slow loris, so Duke Lemur Center will work with her to get that weight down a bit - for her health's sake.

Then sometime in the next year or two, we should be reporting about brand new aye-aye and Pygmy slow loris infants. Good things - worth waiting for!

Strange friends at Duke Lemur Center

Merlin the aye-aye and Pima the Pygmy slow loris share some grub.

Aye-aye are lemurs found only on Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa. Pygmy slow lorises are from Asia. So normally their paths don't cross, but at Duke Lemur Center they have turned out to be compatible room mates. Both are nocturnal. Both enjoy a tasty grub worm, and both are gently natured. So some companionable relationships have developed.

The aye-aye and lorises have been seen curled up together in the same nest box, sharing a meal, and exploring their environs together. The companionship is enrichment for both species, and aye-aye especially need enrichment as they are highly intelligent.

New Years at the Duke Lemur Center

A mirza and a galago prepare to eat their way into a New Year.

Charlie Welch, Duke Lemur Center's Conservation Manager, who spent many years representing Duke in Madagascar, writes:
See below for the link to the most recent Eighth Continent Quarterly. Less animal news in this issue, but reports on many other exciting Madagascar Fauna Group (MFG) activities, which your Lemur Center is a part of. Be sure to catch the striking Parodura photo at the bottom of the last page.
http://www.savethelemur.org/MFG-winter-09.pdf
As you check out this link, notice Fidi Rasambainarivo. He is is the first Wildlife Veterinarian in Madagascar. He did a part of his work at the Duke Lemur Center. LH

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best for the new year. I send you all (in Malagasy tradition) three cheek kisses for new years best wishes. Sorry guys, but that includes you too -- so all the better to do that electronically!

Best to all,

Charlie

A pair of Pygmy Slow lorises patiently await 2009.
All photos by David Haring, DLC photographer

Make it one of your New Year's resolutions to visit the Duke Lemur Center. Call 919.489.3364 to schedule a tour. If you would like to help promote the 3-part mission of the DLC: Conservation, research, and education, Click here to Donate or Adopt. Lots of lemurs will benefit!