By Janice Kalin | Project Leader
As of last report, the lemurs were enjoying the forest and living like lemurs! Thank you for supporting our forested areas which allow our lemurs 24 hour access to wild areas through the spring, summer and fall seasons! Having lemurs live like lemurs should ensure that we have happy lemurs and allows our researchers to observe real lemur behaviors, socializations and family dynamics.
At the Duke Lemur Center, we have 9 large forested areas where different groups of lemurs frolic in the forests. The area that you have supported, provides a family of Coquerel’s sifakas and ring-tailed lemurs with 5.8 acres of forest.
Throughout the winter months, the lemurs must come inside when it is colder than 45 degrees Celsius. Blizzard Jonas blew through here with cold winds, ice and fury. Luckily we did not receive any damage. The lemurs were tucked away inside and warm for this storm. Our incredibly dedicated staff spent days and nights at the lemur center to ensure that everyone was warm, well fed and enriched.
In addition to ice and cold, the blizzard also brought us a new baby Coquerel’s sifaka! So far this year, we have had three Coquerel’s sifaka babies. However, the ‘Blizzard Baby’ did offer some additional excitement! Please click the following links for the complete story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEYfvHRsA84&feature=youtu.be
http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2016/01/baby-lemur-delivered-during-snowstorm-saturday
The weather this winter has been up and down and rather confusing, however our lemurs have been able to enjoy many stretches of time in the forest! Ahhh, this is why we live in North Carolina! However, we are all looking forward to continued and guaranteed weather to remain outside! Spring can’t come quickly enough!
In other news here, we are very proud to celebrate that for 50 years, the Duke Lemur Center has advanced scholarship and biological conservation through interdisciplinary research on lemurs – Earth’s most threatened group of mammals. The Center houses the world’s largest and most diverse collection of lemurs outside of Madagascar, and the current colony houses nearly 250 individuals across 18 species.
The scientific endeavors at the DLC span a vast array of disciplines, from behavior and genomics to brain sciences and paleontology. Over its long history, the DLC has brought together scientists, conservation biologists and educators in North Carolina and in Madagascar to understand and to protect these extraordinary animals.
Thank you for being part of this innovative 50 year journey. Please help us shape the next 50 years as we continue to Discover, Engage, Protect……… CELEBRATE!
We hope you can save some dates to come and visit us! Stay tuned!
September 21-23, 2016 - Science Symposium featuring topics ranging from behavioral ecology, to brain sciences, evolutionary ecology, microbial metagenomics, comparative genomics, biomechanics, One Health disease dynamics, aging and demography, biodiversity conservation, paleontology, climate change, comparative physiology, speciation genetics, and sensory biology (the list goes on). Registration details coming soon.
September 23, 2016 - Celebrate 50 years of the DukeLemur Center. Gala, auction, dinner and dancing. Save the date! Registration details coming soon.
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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