David Traylor Zoo Director Brenda Young is very excited for what the addition of their newest zoo inhabitant could mean for zoo visits and the future of species conservation.
It was announced Thursday that the zoo had welcomed a new ring-tailed lemur to the zoo family on March 24. The baby was born to parents Nova and Oscar and is currently being cared for by its entire family, including siblings Lily, Rose, Violet and Daisy.
Ring-tailed lemurs, natives of Madagascar, are an endangered species and Young tells KVOE News that whenever a new member of such a species is born, it is an important development not only for the zoo but conservation efforts as a whole.
With that in mind, KVOE News asked Young if any special precautions have to be taken with the newborn. She says there are not a lot of extra steps necessary, adding the family is usually right on top of matters.
Young also says she hopes the addition of the new lemur will drive more zoo visitors and act as a resource for inspiring passion in conversation for all endangered species.
The main reasons ring-tailed lemurs are considered an endangered species are the negative impacts of practices such as deforestation and the illegal pet trade. With that in mind, the zoo says people can help lemurs by being more active in practices like recycling or by donating to conservation groups like the Duke Lemur Center or Lemur Conservation Foundation.
