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Our colony is always undergoing change
as new lemurs arrive and others go off to new homes around the country.
There are frequently births and sometimes deaths. It is all part
of the ongoing mission of the Lemur Conservation Foundation to preserve
the endangered lemurs for future generations and maintain healthy
animals that will breed and produce genetically sound off-spring. |
| White Fronted Brown Lemurs (Eulemur albifrons) |
 Gideon
(male, b. 5/7/87) Gideon spends most of his time with the crown lemurs or the
bamboo lemurs. He is a quiet and shy lemur. He moves through the forest so
gracefully that his presence isn't known until he is inches from your face -
earning him the nickname "Ghost Lemur." |
| Sanford's Lemurs (Eulemur sanfordi) |
 Tiana
(female, b. 5/17/90) Tiana and her siblings are the first Eulemur
sanfordi to arrive at the MCLR. They were driven to Florida from North Carolina
in November of 2006. Tiana is a very active and anxious lemur, always looking
for something to do, or some kind of trouble to get in. She is very outgoing and
friendly, very fast, and loves to run. |
 Ikoto (male, b. 4/22/91) Ikoto is currently paired up with his
sister Tiana. He is outgoing and curious. Unlike Tiana and Bao,
Ikoto has beautiful tufts of light colored fur at his ears, which distinguish
the males from the females. Like all of the Sanford’s lemurs at the reserve, he
loves to receive fresh browse as enrichment, and is often seen devouring his wax
myrtle or hibiscus as soon as it’s given. He is also very vocal, often emitting
many different sounds, some of which are reminiscent of old Atari video games. |
 Bao
(female, b. 6/30/92) Bao is just as outgoing as her sister Tiana, though not as
much of a troublemaker. She often meets her caregivers at the entrance to the
enclosure, hoping for a handout. She enjoys chilling out on a branch, basking in
the sun. |
| Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) |
 Guinness
(male, b. 3/20/93) Guinness received his name here at LCF because he used to
be rather stout in appearance. Within the past year, he’s gotten more
exercise and no longer fits his name quite as well. Guinness had an
unfortunate accident while fighting with another male ring-tailed lemur and
lost his thumb. He had to undergo a great deal of veterinary care from LCF’s
staff, but seems to have taken this experience positively. He is rather
relaxed around his human caretakers and is the daintiest eater at the
reserve. You’ll find Guinness most often grooming his troop-mate, Yuengling.
He also is the only lemur we have seen lay like a sphinx. In fact, it seems
to be his favorite napping pose! |
Valgius
(male, b. 6/4/95) Valgius was in a nasty fight just before he came to live
at the Myakka City Lemur Reserve, over a female of course. He still bears the scars of this assault, giving him a scruffy, unkempt appearance. Valgius is especially fond of leaping through the canopy, taking wild, wide gymnastic jumps that are thrilling to watch. He stays out of the girls' shenanigans these days...when squabbles break out, Valgius simply turns his back and continues eating. |
 Yuengling
(male, b. 6/12/92) Yuengling is a very even-tempered lemur. He and Guinness
seem to have a special bond and spend much of their time together.
Unfortunately, he has spent a good deal of time at the bottom of the social
hierarchy and has become pretty submissive towards the other males. This
submission is great for us though, as he is the easiest ring-tailed lemur to
restrain and medicate and rarely even struggles! He has a very sweet face
and his ears stick out a bit more than the others, giving him a unique look.
He is a pleasure to have here at the reserve. |
| Molson and Ansell are two
new ring-tails recently arrived from Canada. They are getting used to
the warmer weather in Florida and the occasional monsoonlike rains. |
| Mongoose Lemurs (Eulemur mongoz) |
 Felix
(male, b.04/16/96) Felix arrived from the Oregon Zoo in October 2006. Since
then, he has charmed the entire LCF staff. Felix is calm and easy going
while still being curious and bold enough to readily explore new
environments and new situations. He is paired with the beautiful Estella,
who he adores only slightly less than bananas. Until now, Felix has not had
the opportunity to breed. Perhaps Estella will make him a proud father
within the next few years. |
Estella
(female, b. 04/27/92) Estella arrived from the Oregon Zoo with
Felix. She has some of the most striking and beautiful eyes in the entire
lemur kingdom. Her personality is equally bewitching: unlike most mongoose
lemur females, who are pushy and brazen, Estella is demure, gentle, almost
coy. She was quite shy when she first arrived at the reserve, allowing Felix
to dominate feeding time (and eat all of the bananas!) but is rapidly
learning to be more assertive. She has been a wonderful mother in the past,
successfully raising several offspring. Estella is getting a bit older now,
but we hope that she’ll be a mother again within the next few years. |
 Christina
(female, b. 6/13/96) Christina has really flourished at the reserve the past
year. We were delighted when she proved to be a doting and skillful mother.
|
Emilia
(female, b. 5/4/03) Emilia is growing up to be a beautiful mongoose lemur.
She is very inquisitive and adventurous. Emilia is perhaps the sneakiest
lemur at MCLR, able to worm her way out of half the cages at the Lemur
Pavilion. She’s learning more and more from her mother, Christina. She has
picked up the bad habit of trying to jump on the heads and shoulders of her
human caretakers to get an edge at feeding time. Like mother, like daughter!
She does have her own personality, though, and is even bolder than her
mother when it comes to eating with all the other species. She is considered
an adult now, but still maintains some playful behavior.
|
|
Bimbini (male,) Kikeli (female,), and Joshua (male,)
Christina's brother all arrived at the Reserve recently and are settling
into their new home. |
| Brown Lemurs (Eulemur fulvus fulvus) |
 Malbec (male, b.05/06/06) Malbec was born at ZooAtlanta. When he first arrived
at the reserve, he was anxious and easily frightened. Despite being six months
old and almost half his mother’s size, Malbec spent the first week clinging to
Shiraz’s back, making it extremely difficult for her to move comfortably. Now,
however, he has settled into the routine at the reserve and is a delightful,
energetic lemur. Malbec doesn’t climb, walk, or jump so much as ricochet from
point to point; it is difficult to follow his movements when he decides to get
going and is certainly the fastest lemur on the reserve. He has formed a strong
bond with his father, Pinot, and spends most of his time sleeping or eating by
his side. |
Pinot
(male, b.~1997) Pinot came to the reserve from ZooAtlanta with his mate and
their offspring. He and his mate, Shiraz, were
 confiscated from private owners
by the Georgia State DNR because of unhealthy housing conditions. Pinot is good
natured and relaxed around people and is very curious, eager to explore new
objects, food items, and visitors. He is a bit of a bully towards his mate,
Shiraz, but is quite calm and patient with their son, Malbec. Pinot spends a lot
of his time sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him, giving him a
“Kermit- the-Frog” appearance that is very endearing. |
 Shiraz
(female, b.~1997) Shiraz arrived at the reserve burdened by her son, Malbec, who
was so anxious about the move that he refused to get off her back - literally.
She was exceptionally patient with him, wobbling around her new enclosure,
trying to climb, explore, and eat with an extra kilogram wrapped around her
waist! She is the nervous one in the trio, more easily alarmed than either of
the males but grows less anxious everyday. Shiraz has favorite keepers and is
not shy about communicating that information, nor is she hesitant to let a
keeper know what she wants and when she wants it. |
| Red Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia rubra) |
 Tsikey
(male, b. 3/24/00) Tsikey is a bit moody - willing to give affection but only on his terms,
namely in return for a tasty snack. Tsikey and his mate Hale, are
proud new parents of triplets.
|
Hale
(female, b. 3/26/97) When Hale first arrived at MCLR, she was shy and
reserved. She weighed considerably less than her sister
Bopp and let Bopp lead the way in most matters. In the forest here,
however, she has really come into her own. She has added some (healthy)
weight and enjoys her mate Tsikey's company and being a mother. When she arrived, Hale had over-groomed the tip of her tail to the
point of baldness. Recently, though the hair has started to grow back -
proof that she has adjusted spectacularly to her new home. |
 Bopp
(female, b. 03/26/97) Bopp is the most independent of our red-ruffed
lemurs. She arrived with her sister, Hale, in mid-September. She took to
the trees almost immediately and has barely come down since then. She
will even occasionally shun feeding time to continue basking in the sun.
However, at 3.6 kg, she is our largest lemur and when she wants
something, the other lemurs let her have it! She is taking
care of her two one-year olds and showing them life in the tree-tops -
Orana (female,) Kintana (female,)
|
| Bamboo Lemurs (Hapalemur griseus) |
 Beriddled
(male, b. 9/8/93) Beriddled has declared himself the altruistic defender of
all things Hapalemur. He is living proof that the alternative name
for bamboo lemurs, the gentle lemur, is a misnomer. Belittle (female)
Houdini (female),
mother and daughter, arrived from Cleveland to keep Beriddled company
and they are going through a getting to know you period with the girls
keeping him on his toes. |
| Collared Lemurs (Eulemur Collaris) |
|
Antoine (male) and
Claire (female) are new arrivals this year, coming separately from
Cincinnati and Durham, they are settling in together. |
| Crowned Lemurs (Eulemur coronatus) |
| Rollo (female) Azizi (male) |
| Lemur Conservation Foundation | P.O. Box 249 Myakka City, Florida, 34251 (941) 332-8494 | Copyright © 2008 |
rev. 6/11/08 |