jeudi 2 juin 2016

In The Wake Of Harambe, San Diego Zoo Welcomes New Endangered Primate

In The Wake Of Harambe, San Diego Zoo Welcomes New Endangered Primate

Harambe the gorilla stole and instantly broke the hearts of millions on the same day. Last Saturday the 17 year old gorilla was shot to death at the Cincinnati zoo, following a hair-raising encounter with a toddler who fell into his moat.

Harambe is a primate, in fact one of the world’s largest and best-loved primates. Besides the great apes, the primate family includes chimpanzees and orangutans, spider monkeys and baboons, and of course humans.

And there are lemurs.

The red-ruffed lemur is one of the world’s most endangered primates, with numbers ranging in the wild from a mere 29,000 to 50,000 individuals.

The population has been dwindling due to deforestation of its habitat, which is in the hardwoods of Madagascar. (About half the estimated 100,000 lowland gorillas, such as Harambe, according to World Wildlife Fund.)

Lemurs are also sold as exotic pets on the black market. It has been difficult to determine their exact numbers in the wild.

On June 1, San Diego Zoo announced the birth of a new red-ruffed lemur baby.

“On May 18, 2016, our red ruffed lemur Morticia gave birth to her first offspring. It has been 13 years since the last red ruffed lemur was born at San Diego Zoo, and excitement is in the air.”

Morticia, the site says, is a first time mom. She has been bribed with fruit to allow staff to weigh her baby, an important step to ensure the well-being of the newborn.

The new lemur is gaining about a third of an ounce a day, and each day growing “more aware of his surroundings.” Lemurs grow fast, and this one is expected to be exploring outside of his nest within the first month of his life.

The San Diego Zoo has had pretty good success with breeding red ruffed lemurs. The organization can boast a total of 100 animals born since 1965. They give credit to their Primate Propagation Center, which is a facility specifically designed for breeding lemurs.

Currently, the zoo is planning a new exhibit called, “Africa Rocks” which will provide a larger environment for their lemurs.

The largest of the lemur family, the red-ruffed lemurs have a beautiful mahogany and black coat, and a serious expression with bright golden eyes.

The animals are among the cleanest in the primate family, according to Lemur World. They spend hours grooming their soft chestnut pelt, using their evenly-spaced teeth as an effective comb.

The species is known for its long call, communicating among its small matriarchal groups.

According to the Duke Lemur Center, lemurs are important pollinators in Madagascar. They feed on fruit, nuts and flowers in the forest, and often carry the pollen with them as they travel. Their interdependence with their environment is a classic example of the fragile balance of nature that is demolished by the effects of deforestation.

The animals rarely touch the ground, flying among the topmost branches in the forest in leaps that are described as spectacular.

The red-ruffed lemurs have been successfully bred in captivity enough to keep the hope alive of preserving their species.

San Diego Zoo’s Africa Rocks exhibit will open in summer of 2017.

[Image via Chris Humphries/Shutterstock]

In The Wake Of Harambe, San Diego Zoo Welcomes New Endangered Primate is an article from: The Inquisitr News

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