Verreaux's Sifaka (Paris Vicennes Zoo) Gentle grey lemur (Chester Zoo) Black lemur (Prague Zoo) Black and white ruffed
lemur and ring-tailed lemur (South Lakes Animal Park) all by Susan Humphreys, Collared lemur (Dudley Zoo), mouse lemur (unknown) red-bellied lemur (Woburn) and red fronted lemur (Woburn) by Susan Humphreys.

Madagascar is famous as the home of lemurs. You may think the lemur is a type of monkey, and the creatures are primates, but they are 'prosimians' which means before monkeys. There are believed to be thirty

Female black lemur at Prague Zoo Photo by Susan Humphreys

different types of lemur falling into five 'families' but new ones are still being found. They range in size from the tiny Grey Mouse Lemur that could fit into your hand to the larger Indri - which looks like a black and white teddy bear, the Sifaka - which can dance on its back legs and the very strange looking Aye-aye. Some of the lemurs are nocturnal like the Mouse Lemur and the Aye-aye while the ring-tailed lemurs love to sunbathe! Most lemurs spend most of their time in trees (the ring-tail prefers the ground) and the Aye-aye has several nests that he can chose to sleep in.
They like to eat fruit, leaves and plants and have a very keen sense of smell. Some of the lemurs are very noisy, and you can hear them howl across the forests, perhaps that's why the word lemur was chosen it is Latin for ghost.
Lemurs are only found on Madagascar, its small islands - including St Mary's and neighbouring Comoro Islands. Fossils have been found belonging to now sadly extinct lemurs including a giant Aye-aye and a lemur as big as a gorilla!

Sadly many of the lemurs are classified as endangered or vulnerable (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species) because of large-scale deforestation for agriculture, in particular rice fields, and timber production. Madagascar is also a poor country and some people will hunt lemurs for food. Fortunately many conservation groups are working to save the lemur by setting up education programmes in madagascar, setting up protected parks where they can live safely and be studied. Zoos around the world also run breeding programmes to safeguard threatened species for the future.

Red ruffed lemur at South Lakes Animal Park Photo by Susan Humphreys

You can see lemurs at Chester Zoo, Marwell Zoo, South Lakes Wild Animal Park, Bristol Zoo, Blackpool Zoo,  Jersey Zoo, London Zoo, Belfast Zoo, Dudley Zoo and Colchester Zoo.
The Blue Eyed Black Lemur can only be seen at Colchester Zoo.
Lemur Wood at Dudley Zoo has four species - Ring-tailed, Black and White Ruffed, Black and Collared. They also have Red Ruffed, Mongoose and Mouse Lemurs.
You can see Sifakas at Belfast Zoo and Cotswold's Wildlife Park and Gardens or see Noel the Sifaka (as seen on BBC1's Roar) at Port Lympne Zoo / Howletts Zoo.
Cotswolds have just opened their new Madagascar exhibit (click on Madagascar news for details) which as well as the Sifaka includes Black and White Ruffed Lemurs, Ring-tailed    Lemurs, Black Lemurs, Collared Lemurs, Lac Alaotran Lemurs and the newly arrived Greater Bamboo Lemurs along with birdlife listed below.
You can see the following lemurs at Africa Alive, Suffolk - Black, Black and White Ruffed, Mongoose, Red-bellied, Red ruffed and Ring-tailed.
You can see the Black, White-fronted Brown, Black and White Ruffed and Ring-tailed Lemurs at lemurland, Isle of Wight Zoo.
You can see the Red Ruffed Lemur and Ring-tailed Lemur at Bristol Zoo.
You can see Ring-tailed lemurs at Whipsnade Zoo. You can see Red-bellied Lemurs, Red Fronted Lemurs and Black and White Ruffed lemurs at Woburn Safari Park. You can see Ring-tailed Lemurs, Black and White Ruffed Lemurs, Red Ruffed Lemurs, Mongoose Lemurs and Mayotte Lemurs at Blackbrook Zoological Park.                                                                                                                Mongoose lemur at Dudley (SH)
You can see the Alaotran Gentle Lemur, Red-ruffed Lemur, Black and White Ruffed Lemur and Ring-tailed Lemur at Jersey Zoo.

The Aye-aye 

Meet Polly and Esther
You may be surprised to know that these birds are parrots! They do not have bright coloured feathers like macaws or Amazonian ones, their feathers are dark olive, in fact a rude pirate might say they look like pigeons!. These are greater vasa parrots, there is also a breed known as the lesser vasa. The female parrot loses her head and facial pictures during the breeding season so she suddenly looks like she has a yellow head. The Vasa is also considered to be the most ancient and primative parrots but they are also extremely smart, very agile both walking and in flight.
Vasa parrots live on the island of Madagascar. These parrots make lots of interesting noises and like to sing, but they cannot talk - but what if they could?

    
Parson's Chameleon (Lakeland Wildlife Oasis) and Meller's Chameleon (Bristol Zoo),  Madagascan stick insect (Chester Zoo) and Madagascan Hissing Cockroach (Dudley Zoo), Giant African Land Snail (Tropical Butterfly House), Madagascan Tree Boa (Chester Zoo), Dumeril's Boas (Tropical Butterfly House)  Madagascar Day Gecko baby with eaten tail - left- and parent (Manchester Museum) photographs taken at by Susan Humphreys

 
   

 

 

  
 

 

.You can see the Madagascan Spider Tortoise at Africa Alive (Suffolk). You can see the Flat-shelled Spider Turtle and Radiated Tortoise at Jersey Zoo.You can see the Radiated Tortoise at Chester Zoo, Whipsnade Zoo and Cotswolds Wildlife Park.
Read about tortoise smuggling by clicking on the Madagascar News button.

You can see Madagascan/Malagasy Giant Jumping Rats at Bristol Zoo, Tropical World at Leeds Roundhay Park, Africa Alive (Suffolk), Jersey Zoo and West Midland Safari Park. You can see the narrow-striped mongoose at Jersey Zoo.
You can see the Madagascar Teal, Greater Flamingo, White-faced Whistling Duck, Meller's Duck, Hottentot Teal, African White-backed Duck, Black-winged Stilt and Black Bulbul at Jersey Zoo.
You can also see Madagascan Giant Jumping Rats, Night Herons, Madagascan Teal, Purple Gallinule and Common Emperor Scorpions at Cotswolds Wildlife Park.

   
 
Red-billed Pintail, Whistling Duck, Meller's Duck, Sacred Ibis and Little Egret (Blackbrook) by Susan Humphreys.

You can see the Little Egret, Whistling Duck, Meller's Duck, Red-billed Pintail (or teal) and Sacred Ibis at Blackbrook Zoological Park.