Lemur Land
Stroll with our lovely lemurs through the trees of their walk-through reserve. Don’t forget to look up as they play and chatter in the foliage above you. We have four species of lemur in Lemur Land, as well as two giant tortoises, two Somali sheep, a mob of Parma wallabies and a group of Patagonian maras.
Meet the residents of Lemur Land
Just like us, our lemurs tend to live in family groups. As you walk through Lemur Land, you’ll spot four different species of lemur in the trees. Look down and you’ll notice there’s some other species sharing their enclosure too:
Ring-tailed lemurs
We have two groups of ring-tailed lemurs. Five of them living in one family group, and another three living in a mixed group with our brown lemurs.
Black-and-white ruffed lemurs
We have one family of black-and-white ruffed lemurs. Look out for their fluffy white beards and yellow eyes.
Brown lemurs
Our brown lemurs live in a mixed group with three of our ring-tailed lemurs. As their name suggests, they’re brown in colour with dark faces and orange eyes.
Crowned lemurs
Our crowned lemur couple like to hang out together. You can tell them apart by their colouring. Male crowned lemurs are predominantly brown with a black crown, while females are grey with a chestnut-orange crown.
Other residents
Somali sheep
Our Somali sheep live in Lemur Land too. These friendly sheep are originally from Africa and have a hairy coat instead of a woolly fleece.
Patagonian mara
Say hello to our family group of Patagonian maras. A long-legged rodent that looks a bit like a deer, this strange little mammal is actually closely related to the guinea pig!
Sulcata tortoises
Meet Monty and Mali. These two gentle giants live alongside our lemurs quite happily – burrowing, foraging for food – and even climbing!
Parma wallabies
Our newest residents just moved into Lemur Land in March. These little marsupials are the smallest species of wallaby.
Our seven lemur laws
Our lemurs are free-roaming and you’ll be walking through their habitat, so it’s important you know the rules before you enter their home. Here are our seven lemur laws to keep everyone happy during your visit:
- Please do not touch any of the animals in Lemur Land. These are wild animals and we work hard to maintain a habitat where they’re free to display natural behaviours.
- Strictly no food and drink in Lemur Land.
- All children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
- Airlock gates are in operation throughout the walkthrough. Gates will not open until the previous gate has been closed. Please do not let lemurs through any of the gates.
- No scooters are permitted in Lemur Land. If your children have scooters, please leave them outside before entering the walkthrough.
- Please do not run or climb any of the fences in Lemur Land. This can upset the animals and cause damage.
- Please stay on the path at all times.
Lemur conservation
In the wild, the biggest threat to lemurs is habitat loss, due to aggressive agriculture, logging, and mining. This destroys habitats and vital forest corridors that allow groups to move between locations. Almost 90% of the natural forest in Madagascar has been destroyed since human habitation.
Some species of lemur are also heavily hunted. There are a number of national parks and protected regions in Madagascar. However, poaching is still a threat even in these protected areas.
Almost all species of lemur are now endangered and are desperately in need of our help. If you’d like to help lemurs struggling in the wild, you can donate to our partner charity, Feedback Madagascar, here.
Did you know?
Tortoises are age-defying!
Weighing about 6 stone each, our Sulcata tortoises share their enclosure with our lemurs. Monty and Mali are both 39, but did you know that they can actually slow down their own ageing process?
In a recent study, scientists discovered that, unlike humans, turtles and tortoises may be able to reduce the rate of their ageing in response to improvements in their living conditions – good news for Monty and Mali!
Interested in Sulcata Tortoises?