Visitors going to Cotswold Wildlife Park will get the chance to name two of its newest arrivals - a pair of baby Ring-tailed Lemurs.
This comes as the park hosts its annual Lemur Week, which started on May 28 and will finish on June 5.
Its aim is to raise awareness and funds for the park’s conservation projects helping to save the most threatened Lemurs on earth from extinction. The opportunity to name the twins is part of the Lemur-themed fundraising activities this year,
The playful siblings are the first offspring sired by new breeding male Bernard who arrived at the Burford park in May 2021. He immediately bonded with dominant female Hira – an exceptional and experienced mother who had already given birth to 18 babies prior to the new arrivals.
The park’s youngsters can be seen exploring the large open-air Lemur exhibit Madagascar - home to 31 free-roaming Lemurs and bird species native to the island of Madagascar.
Chris Kibbey, assistant manager of Cotswold Wildlife Park, said: “Breeding successes are always great news, but baby Ring-tailed Lemurs really are something special. They are just beginning to develop the confidence to climb off their mother and try small pieces of food. They’re like little toddlers with stripey tails causing mischief and having fun”.
As part of ‘Lemur Week’, visitors will have the chance to take part in a variety of Lemur-themed fundraising activities and learn more about these charismatic primates.
Events include the ‘name the baby Lemurs’ competition and a Lemur drawing competition. Winners of each will win a Lemur Encounter. There will also be a Lemur stall and daily keeper talks at midday inside the Park’s Lemur walk-through exhibit – Madagascar.
Jamie Craig, curator of Curator of Cotswold Wildlife Park, said: “Lemur species in Madagascar are under tremendous pressure from habitat destruction and the rapidly rising human population. It is vital that we raise awareness for this unique group of primates before it is too late"
The Park recently installed a Lemur webcam in memory of Madagascar volunteer Linda Dongworth. She worked as a volunteer in the walkthrough enclosure until April 2021.
Funds for this installation were generously provided by Linda’s husband David. The webcam can be viewed here: https://www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk/animals-gardens/web-cams/.
More information is available at www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk
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