Meet the lemur babies of Madagascar at Cotwolds Wildlife Park
Cotswold Wildlife Park introduces possibly the most adorable babies in the primate world.
Newborn ring-tail (pictured centre), red bellied (pictured right with mum) and collared lemurs (pictured left with mum) are new arrivals to the walk-through exhibit, Madagascar. The lemurs are as free-roaming as the visitors who come to see them, so anyone can get up close to the babies (if they’re lucky!)
The baby ring-tailed lemurs were named Will and Kate, in honour of the recent royal wedding. The other babies are as yet unnamed.
Cotswold Wildlife Park Curator, Jamie Craig, said: "Our lemur exhibit has experienced a baby boom this year with red bellied lemurs, collared lemurs and ring-tails all producing young. They are now busily exploring their surroundings and getting to know their new playmates and meeting the visitors in the walkthrough.”
Last chance to see...
The island of Madagascar is home to some of the most fascinating animals in the world. All of its species are evolutionarily distinct and most are now globally threatened. Due to habitat destruction, many spectacular species have tragically become extinct.
Cotswold Wildlife Park is heavily involved in the Sifaka Project (www.helpsimus.org) which aims to save two of the rarest lemur species from extinction; the greater bamboo lemur and the crowned sifaka. Both species were named in Bradt’s book 100 Animals To See Before They Die* and are cited on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The bamboo lemur is classified Critically Endangered which means it is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Cotswold Wildlife Park is proudly home to both species.
Additional information:
- Ring-tailed babies Will and Kate were born to mum Hira and father Uba on 19th March 2011.
- The baby male collared lemur was born on 25th March 2011 to Anais and Varika.
- Red bellied baby female was born on 7th April 2011 to mum Maren and father Otys.
- Madagascar was opened by comedienne Ruby Wax in April 2008. She also named two ring-tailed babies, one Max (after her son) and the other Ruby!
Explore Gloucestershire
24 May 2011
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