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Red ruffed lemur male Hazo on left and female Aviavy on right

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Available now! Check out Season 2, Episode 2 of th

Available now! Check out Season 2, Episode 2 of the @rossifari podcast to hear a great discussion from our very own curator and Senior Keeper about the @lemur.conservation.foundation!

This #TongueOutTuesday is brought to you by our ad

This #TongueOutTuesday is brought to you by our adorable lemur infants!
#criticallyendangered #endangeredspecies #lemur #primatesnotpets #conservation #lcf

Did you know? We have partnered with @eatbeyondgoo

Did you know? We have partnered with @eatbeyondgood, craftsman of exceptional, ethically-sourced Madacascar vanilla and chocolate products.

When you use the link in our bio to purchase Beyond Good products, LCF receives 20%, at no cost to you! Don't forget to share with your friends!

(Please note: you must go through this link to make your purchase for LCF to receive the 20% donation- Thank you!)https://www.beyondgood.com/shop/all-products?afmc=1r

LCF's call for entries is officially open! Check o

LCF's call for entries is officially open! Check out our facebook event page for all the details and to enter your lemur-themed art for a chance to win. Link in our bio! #WLF21 #lemurs #art #contest

#ThankYou to everyone who graciously sent us items

#ThankYou to everyone who graciously sent us items from our Hurricane Supplies #wishlist! These crates will help ensure our growing #lemur colony is safe and secure in the event of an emergency. A special thanks to Michelle Virun and Jane Barthelme! We didn’t receive any sender info from Amazon on the third package, so if you’d like a special thank-you note, please message us with your contact info.

Anyone else interested in donating hurricane supplies, or any other supplies for our lemurs, can find our wishlists through the link in our bio!

Our fourth, and final installment on Volana. While

Our fourth, and final installment on Volana. While Volana was drastically improved from his original post-seizure state, the staff felt he would no longer be safe in a free range setting due to the physical demands of the forest. Instead, Volana would enjoy an enclosure at our main building shelter where staff could easily monitor him. With this in mind, LCF reached out to the @zoos_aquariums Red Ruffed Lemur SSP (Species Survival Plan) to discuss options for a new partner for Volana. The SSP recommended LCF bring in a female red ruffed lemur named Demi from the Nashville Zoo to be paired with Volana.

On January 22, 2021 two LCF staff members drove up to the Nashville Zoo to pick up Demi and drive her back to LCF. Following her quarantine period, staff began supervised introductions between her and Volana. Volana was exceptionally excited to finally have a female all to himself- instead of sharing with three other males- and was initially a little too eager for Demi’s liking, but she came around within a few days. Demi’s arrival and Volana’s successful transition away from his family group meant that Tsikey, Rivotra, Ravina, and Frezy could free-range once again- something they were all extremely eager to do.

Demi and Volana have since bonded well and spend their days lounging around their enclosure together. The LCF team recently decided to give Demi a Malagasy nickname to match our name theme for red ruffed lemurs and decided on ‘Nify’, which means teeth- so named for her large canines!

While Volana has faced many obstacles within the last eight months, he continues to come out on top and we couldn’t be more proud of him. A big thank you to everyone who helped Volana on his journey- all of our staff and interns, Dr. David Holifield, Dr. Christopher Levine and the staff of @levineneuro, the AZA Red Ruffed Lemur SSP, and the Nashville Zoo.

#lemur #redruffedlemur #criticallyendangeredspecies #conservation #lcf #wesavespecies #primatesnotpets

Part three: Volana began re-introductions to his f

Part three: Volana began re-introductions to his family group on December 8th. However, he was still shaky when walking and had a persistent head tilt- both lasting side effects of his seizure event the previous month. Because of this, introductions were slow and limited to a space safe for Volana. As time passed and he continued to improve, Dr. Holifield gave the clearance for Volana to start limited climbing, have outdoor access during the day, then 24/7. Once we reached this point, Volana was fully re-introduced to his family group- a group that included not only his dad and brother, but female Ravina and youngster Frezy.

While Volana’s mobility and balance were greatly improved, he was still not medically cleared to traverse the forest. With Volana’s addition back into his family group, this unfortunately meant the rest of the group could no longer free range in our forest habitats without causing undue stress to Volana. Keeping the group's social and spacial needs in mind as well as Volana’s medical restrictions, our team began to brainstorm a long-term solution. Tune in again tomorrow for another update on Volana’s road to recovery.

#lemur #criticallyendangeredspecies #redruffedlemur #conservation #aza #lcf #wesavespecies

Yesterday we re-acquainted you with one of our rem

Yesterday we re-acquainted you with one of our remarkable #lemurs- Volana. As stated, Volana suffered a seizure event on November 23, 2020. Following treatment to stop the seizures, LCF’s veterinarian, Dr. David Holifield, began diagnostics to determine the cause of the seizures. This included a neurological consult and MRI with Dr. Christopher Levine of @levineneuro. Frustratingly, all results, including the MRI, came back normal.

During this time, staff worked one on one with Volana to closely monitor for any signs of additional seizures, while also monitoring food and liquid intake, administering several medications throughout the day, and designing a specially furnished room to ensure a safe space if he did have another seizure. Not only did our team need to monitor how much Volana was eating but they also needed to keep track of WHAT he was eating as some of his new medications affected his sense of taste, resulting in his refusal of several of his typical preferred foods.

During this time, we were not only concerned about Volana’s physical health, but also his mental health. Many lemur species, including red ruffed lemurs, live in complex social groups and prolonged isolation can have negative psychological effects. Our team’s rigorous dedication to Volana’s care paid off as he began to improve and on December 8th, just two weeks after the seizure, the staff watched as Volana was successfully re-introduced to his brother Rivotra followed by his father Tsikey two days later. Tune in again tomorrow for another update on Volana’s road to recovery.

#redruffedlemur #criticallyendangeredspecies #conservation #aza #wesavespecies #lcf

We have a very special #story for you all this wee

We have a very special #story for you all this week. Say hello to #redruffedlemur (Varecia rubra) Volana. Many of you may recognize him as he was born at LCF in 2008 and free ranged in our #forest habitats for much of his life. On November 23, 2020 Volana suffered a seizure event. Luckily he was not free ranging at the time, but rather in his shelter area eating breakfast.

Staff rushed to get him the treatment he needed to stop the re-occurring seizures. Volana received dedicated treatment from LCF’s team for several weeks as we worked to get him healthy again. In the coming days we will continue to post updates on Volana’s journey. In the meantime, please enjoy these photos of Volana as he is now- a happy and relaxed lemur.

Every #lemur at LCF increases the genetic safety net against extinction, and provides renewed hope for the survival of lemurs for generations to come. In addition, with under 200 animals in the AZA Red Ruffed Lemur Species Survival Plan (SSP), each individual, including Volana, is crucial to the survival of this #criticallyendangeredspecies. SSPs are used to help manage the population of select species in @zoos_aquariums facilities and to help with the conservation of those species in the wild.

Calling all prospective animal care professionals!

Calling all prospective animal care professionals! LCF’s next primate husbandry internship starts September 19th. Check out the link below to see if you have what it takes to be a part of our exemplary team. Applications are due by August 11th.

https://www.aza.org/jobs?job=25011

#MadagascarMonday Latest Newsletter from the Ameri

#MadagascarMonday Latest Newsletter from the American Society of Primatologists -- Conservation Action Network (ASP-CAN) reviews the latest threats to lemurs in Northeastern Madagascar and proposes 8 strategies to save the 22 lemur species (6 are Critically Endangered) in this biodiversity hotspot. Dr. Tim Eppley is the lead author with major contributions from Dr. Cortni Borgerson, Dr. Erik Patel, Prof. Natalie Vasey, Andrew Kirkby (WCS) and others.

Link in our bio!

Hey! We haven’t talked about @wendybarnesdesign

Hey! We haven’t talked about @wendybarnesdesign in a while! Did you know Wendy Barnes Design is one of our #conservation partners? Wendy is a wildlife #artist creating sustainable lifestyle designs from original pen and ink drawings that she develops into fabrics. She gives back by donating a portion of proceeds to partnered conservation organizations like #LCF.

Her conservation chic designs include reusable straw cases, snack bags, totes, and now Utility Towels! A modern combination of both a standard dish towel and paper towels, this absorbs, wipes, and washes. Use this towel to minimize or eliminate paper towels from your life!

As nothing is ever truly 'thrown away', single-use paper towels contribute to our massive waste problem and to deforestation of wildlife habitats. A Utility Towel can be just as convenient as a disposable product if you let it.

Check out Wendy’s LCF Collection on her website through the link in our bio!

(Post 2 of 2) As we’ve demonstrated throughout t

(Post 2 of 2) As we’ve demonstrated throughout this #NZKW2021, our keeper staff are extraordinary and extraordinarily busy. Which is why today we want to highlight our amazing interns! Our busy interns provide intensive support to our keeper staff by assisting with daily animal care, enrichment, nutrition, training projects, and gardening, just to name a few, all while continuing their own professional development.

And our current interns are doing all of this during a global pandemic! Our crew have been amazing at adapting to new and different protocols we have implemented to help protect each other and our animals. The hottest and sweatiest of which is wearing facemasks and gloves every day in the Florida summer heat!
#ItTakesAZoo #KeepCalmZooKeepOn #KeepersAsAnimals

(Post 1 of 2) As we’ve demonstrated throughout t

(Post 1 of 2) As we’ve demonstrated throughout this #NZKW2021, our keeper staff are extraordinary and extraordinarily busy. Which is why today we want to highlight our amazing interns! Our busy interns provide intensive support to our keeper staff by assisting with daily animal care, enrichment, nutrition, training projects, and gardening, just to name a few, all while continuing their own professional development.

And our current interns are doing all of this during a global pandemic! Our crew have been amazing at adapting to new and different protocols we have implemented to help protect each other and our animals. The hottest and sweatiest of which is wearing facemasks and gloves every day in the Florida summer heat!
#ItTakesAZoo #KeepCalmZooKeepOn #KeepersAsAnimals

#NZKW2021 Our keeper staff are trained to do anyth

#NZKW2021 Our keeper staff are trained to do anything and everything in order to provide for our lemurs and keep them safe. Which means in addition to their direct lemur care duties (feeding, cleaning, etc.), our keepers are often found trekking the grounds looking for appropriate browse or branching, they are trained to safely and properly administer medications and monitor the lemurs' behavior for major and minor signs of injury or illness, and they are a critical part of maintaining our free-range forest enclosures.

But did you know that zookeeping doesn’t always end at 5pm every day? Preparing for natural disasters, including hurricanes, takes time before, during and after the actual event. When necessary, our staff also stay late or return during the night for medical emergencies and monitoring, infant monitoring and feedings, or even checking on newly free-ranging animals. Our keepers are experts at improvising, adapting and persisting. No matter what they face, zookeepers Keep On Keepin’ On.

#ItTakesAZoo #KeepCalmZooKeepOn #KeepersAsAnimals

#NZKW2021 Did you know our keeper staff are traine

#NZKW2021 Did you know our keeper staff are trained to work with all 51 of our #lemurs? Depending on what building our keepers are working, they are each responsible for 16-35 lemurs every day.

Daily tasks include but are not limited to the lemurs' diet prep & distribution, special dietary needs and monitoring, enclosure cleaning (including hosing, raking, sweeping, wiping, disinfecting, etc.), enrichment, infant monitoring, checks on forest animals (especially during the summer to check for heat stress), medication administration, recordkeeping, animal training, behavior observations, enclosure maintenance, and fence monitoring on the forest habitats.

These activities are performed daily- rain or shine, hurricane or drought, holidays and weekends and global pandemics included.
#ItTakesAZoo #KeepCalmZooKeepOn #KeepersAsAnimals

#NZKW2021 Our lemur keepers work hard every day to

#NZKW2021 Our lemur keepers work hard every day to provide the best care possible but the last 15+ months have been more difficult than most due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our lemurs still required daily attention so our staff didn’t have the option of working from home! In addition, our volunteer and internship programs were put on hold- meaning less assistance for our team to complete all the tasks necessary to care for our colony.

We invite you to think about what few people know outside of our field: zoo keeping takes improvisation, adaptability and persistence. Our team’s determination meant that our lemurs didn’t see any effects of the pandemic- apart from the staff donning additional PPE! Our keepers stepped up and continued giving the best care they possibly could, despite the best attempts of outside influences.
#ItTakesAZoo #KeepCalmZooKeepOn #KeepersAsAnimals

Happy National Zoo Keeper Week! As the need to pro

Happy National Zoo Keeper Week! As the need to protect and preserve wildlife and their vanishing habitats continues to increase, the animal care professional’s role as educators and conservation ambassadors has become essential. Zoo and aquarium professionals care for hundreds of species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Every year during the third week of July, we celebrate zoo keepers and raise awareness about the multitude of responsibilities and conservation impacts they have in this role.

For #NZKW2021, we’re highlighting the adaptability it takes to be a successful force in the zooquaria field. We invite you to think about and share what few know outside of our field: zoo keeping takes improvisation, adaptability and persistence.
#ItTakesAZoo #KeepCalmZooKeepOn #KeepersAsAnimals

We think this little #collaredlemur is starting to

We think this little #collaredlemur is starting to look a lot like their daddy! Olivier, or Ollie for short, is known for his cream-colored #cheeks and their sharp contrast to the dark crown of his head and equally dark nose. You can see his infant has a similarly dark nose and lighter coloring around their eyes. What do you think? Can you see the resemblance?
#conservation #endangeredspecies #lcf #aza #wesavespecies #primatesnotpets

Did you know that @envirokidz has supported LCF fo

Did you know that @envirokidz has supported LCF for OVER a decade, with projects like the AKO Series books and conservation education in Madagascar and the US? Thanks to hungry EnviroKidz big and small, their initiative has raised over $4 million in support of wildlife #conservation and #education efforts to date! Check out EnviroKidz on Facebook, or visit the Nature's Path website for more information about the great organizations they support!

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