By Janice Kalin | Project Leader
Looking forward to spring!
As we sit here in below freezing temperatures, the lemurs are eagerly awaiting their spring release! All of our NHE-5 inhabitants are rearing to get back out into their 5.8 acre forest playground that supporters like you made possible. While the lemurs’ winter housing is pleasant, warm, and filled with daily enrichment, nothing can match life free-ranging in the forest!
On a warmer note, we are thrilled to report that our female Coquerel’s sifaka, Euphemia, gave birth to a healthy baby girl on January 8, 2015, sired by Lucius! The baby has been named Lupicina, which follows the Roman naming theme for this species. Euphemia, Lucius, Lupicina, and uncle Thrax are all being introduced back together now. They all seem to be getting along well and each love taking turns grooming the infant. The next step will be to introduce the group back to their blue-eyed black lemur enclosure mates. Provided that all goes well, the group will be free-ranging again by mid-April to early May.
There are many steps to getting our enclosures ready for the spring. Our grounds crew must check the structural integrity of all of the acres of fence line (keep in mind there are 9 enclosures), ensure the electro-net systems are working, remove any trees or branches that might pose an escape hazard, add more gravel to fence lines, and ensure all catch cages are ready to go. On the animal care side of things, new radio collars and batteries need to be ordered, frequencies matched and placed on animals, veterinary exams performed and introduction to new enclosure mates completed! Not too much work, right?! Regardless, all of the hours of back breaking labor and tedious observations will be worth it once our staff and visitors see the excitement in the lemurs’ eyes when those gates open the first time in the spring! Your donations, big and small, all help keep this project going and keep the lemurs in the forest. Thank you for all of your support!
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