Background on Our Collection and Mission

According to Dr. Ian Tattersall, LCF scientist and curator in the Division of Anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History, “The last few hundred years have witnessed an extraordinary ravaging of Madagascar’s forests, and the reduction of many lemur populations to critically low levels.”  The Lemur Conservation Foundation was formed to address this very problem.

Since its inception, LCF has been particularly focused on the conservation of the brown lemur, Eulemur fulvus sp.  While brown lemurs were once prolific in North American zoos, the population has decreased dramatically over the last decade.  Many traditional institutions decided not to hold these species due to lack of space, management problems and, according to some, lack of visitor appeal.  However, Dr. Tattersall and his colleagues believe that, among all the lemurs, it will be the brown lemurs that are most likely to survive in 200 years' time -- if given the chance.  They are proven reliable breeders and are extremely adaptable to diverse habitats.   Their chances of long term survival, however, are greatly reduced if the species disappears in captivity.

When opening the Myakka City Lemur Reserve and deciding on a colony collection plan, the LCF Scientific Advisory Council recognized the need for less traditional institutions - like the Reserve - to accept responsibility for the conservation of brown lemurs.  In Dr. Tattersall’s words, “…while it is vital to make every effort to protect what remains [in Madagascar], it also makes sound conservation sense to maintain stocks of these human relatives away from Madagascar, in places where their propagation can be assured.”    

As the lemur reserve has developed and the colony has expanded, the conservation effort of brown lemurs has grown more complicated.  Recent taxonomic changes reflect the results of new research determining that many populations previously considered subspecies are in fact species in their own right.  In addition to this, many species within the genus Eulemur experienced the same population drop in captivity as the Eulemur fulvus.  LCF is working to protect as many of these “orphan species” as possible while maintaining the highest standards in animal welfare and research quality.   

LCF is not alone in their efforts. The newly created Eulemur Species Survival Plan (Eulemur SSP) under the management of the AZA’s Prosimian Taxon Advisory Group addresses many of the issues related to captive management of Eulemur species.  LCF, the Eulemur SSP, and other institutions invested in the conservation of lemurs are cooperating to increase the population sizes of several Eulemur species currently in captivity.  This includes increasing the number of institutions holding these types of lemurs, increasing the number of breeding pairs, and potentially importing additional breeding lemurs from European and Malagasy zoos.   

It is hoped that at least one or two of the Eulemur species populations currently held in captivity will be able to recover from the demographic decline experienced over the past decade resulting from breeding moratoriums and space constraints. For the Reserve, this means acquiring a couple of species that were not part of the original collection plan, Eulemur collaris and Eulemur coronatus.  Dwindling numbers and aging individuals are the biggest challenges to breeding collared lemurs and crown lemurs. 

The Myakka City Lemur Reserves is now home to 8 species of lemur:  Eulemur collaris, Eulemur coronatus, Eulemur fulvus, Eulemur mongoz, Eulemur sanfordi, Hapalemur griseus, Lemur catta, and Varecia rubra.  The current captive populations of Eulemur fulvus, Eulemur sanfordi, and Hapalemur griseus include few animals capable of breeding so their role at the reserve is to help scientists and students learn as much as possible about these species and about effective field techniques.  Maybe the future will see a time when these populations are once again thriving in captivity and in their native habitats.  We are hoping to improve the demography and genetic diversity of Eulemur collaris, Eulemur coronatus, Eulemur fulvus, and Eulemur mongoz through intense breeding management while conducting research that will improve our understanding of the needs of these species and improve current conservation practices.  Without drastic intervention, these species will go extinct in captivity, further increasing the risk of total extinction – in captivity and in the wild.  The captive populations of Lemur catta and Varecia rubra are large and widespread; we hope that our research and breeding efforts of these animals will improve their husbandry in captivity and provide more information for better conservation practices in Madagascar.  

Our Colony In-depth

Mongoose lemurs (Eulemur mongoz)

Red ruffed lemurs (Varecia rubra)

Ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta)

White-fronted brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus albifrons)

Eastern lesser bamboo lemurs (Hapalemur griseus)

Sanford's lemurs (Eulemur sanfordi)

Updated 11-05-2008