New Lemurs Arrive at Drusillas Park
Two red-bellied lemurs have been settling in well at Drusillas Park, Alfriston since their arrival on 11th February.
Swali and Awa come to the zoo from Cotswold Wildlife Park in Oxfordshire and are a new species for Drusillas. They are slowly being introduced to the ring-tailed residents of Lemurland; a walkthrough exhibit that allows visitors to get nose to nose with these fascinating primates.
So far, the introductions are going very well, with the red-bellied lemurs spending a lot of time exploring their new enclosure and entertaining visitors with their acrobatic leaps.
Despite the fact they have the advantage of numbers, the nine ring-tailed lemurs are slightly wary of the two new faces. Capitalising on this to secure all the best food, the red-bellied lemurs have been feasting on plenty of pear, which would appear to be their favourite food at the moment.
Red-bellied lemurs, like all lemurs, are from Madagascar; a large island off the south east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean.
In the wild, they are regarded as a vulnerable species. In the last 24 years their population has declined by 30%, mainly due to habitat destruction and hunting. The conservation of the species is overseen by a studbook keeper and the animals at Drusillas are part of this European breeding programme.
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For more information, please contact:
Claire Peters
Head of Public Relations
Drusillas Park
Tel: 01323 874112
Email: claire.peters@drusillas.co.uk