A truly global institution, the Duke Lemur Center works in the United States in North Carolina, Wyoming, and Utah; La Venta, Columbia; Santa Cruz Province, Argentina; Wadi Moghra and the Fayum Depression, Egypt; and in numerous fossil and conservation sites across Madagascar. Artwork by Talia Felgenhauer, 2023-24 Undergraduate Fellow in Communications. Click for a larger version.
Caring for and protecting Earth’s most endangered mammals since 1966
Located on the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, the Duke Lemur Center (DLC) is a world leader in the study, care, and protection of lemurs—the most endangered group of mammals on Earth.
Since 1966, the DLC has cared for over 4,315 primates, welcomed more than 3,400 infants through our conservation breeding program, played a leading role in conserving lemurs and their natural habitat in Madagascar, produced more than 1,600 peer-reviewed scientific publications, educated hundreds of thousands of people through in-person and virtual programs, and shared our lemur care expertise with zoos and conservation organizations around the world.
Today, with our irreplaceable colony of nearly 250 lemurs and bush babies across 12 species, the DLC houses the most diverse population of lemurs outside of Madagascar and ranks among the most precious collections of endangered primates anywhere on Earth.
Accreditation
The Duke Lemur Center is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which means it meets the highest standards for animal welfare, health, and nutrition. To maintain AZA accreditation, the DLC must pass an assessment every five years. At our inspection in 2021, the DLC received an extremely rare perfect score.
The Duke Lemur Center is also accredited by AAALAC International, which means it meets the highest standards for animal welfare, health, and nutrition for animals used in research. (All DLC research is non-invasive.) AAALAC-accredited institutions like the DLC help raise the global benchmark for animal well-being in science. To maintain AAALAC accreditation, we must pass an assessment every three years.
The DLC is proud to be the only organization in the world that holds accreditations from both the AZA and AAALAC International. Our dual accreditations reflect our commitment to producing high-quality scientific data while also maintaining the highest standards of care for the animals, and prove that we can be advocates for lemur health and wellbeing and at the same time world leaders in lemur research.
Why Lemurs?
Of all the animals on Earth, why are we so passionate about lemurs? Of all the islands in the ocean, why is Madagascar remarkable—and so worthy of our conservation attention?
The “Why” issue of the our official magazine addresses the core mission of the DLC: Why do we do what we do? Featuring articles from DLC staff, interns, and collaborators and gorgeous images from our volunteer and staff photographers, this issue is infused with the curiosity, beauty, and tenacity that define the DLC. The entire issue, as well as past issues, can be read free online.
Global Impact
Who would have thought that a small collection of mixed primates brought to Duke Forest in 1966 would grow into a global force in lemur care, research, and conservation? A truly global institution, the DLC works in the United States in North Carolina, Wyoming, and Utah; La Venta, Colombia; Santa Cruz Province, Argentina; Wadi Moghra and the Fayum Depression, Egypt; and in numerous fossil and conservation sites across Madagascar.
In LEMURS Magazine: The “Where” Issue, we travel across the globe to learn more about the projects and programs that the DLC supports in our efforts to protect the forests and lemurs of Madagascar.
Animal Wellbeing
As a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Duke Lemur Center believes that the wellbeing of the animals in our care is our ethical responsibility and is foundational to our mission.
Animal wellbeing is a state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy. At the DLC, the wellbeing of the colony is our top organizational priority. We are committed to the physical, social, and behavioral wellbeing of each individual through all stages of his or her life and have, therefore, developed a proactive animal wellbeing program. We continuously pursue opportunities to advance animal wellbeing through discovery and application of animal welfare science.
Non-Invasive Research
Through research, we learn how to better care for lemurs in captivity and conserve them in the wild. “By learning what most affects lemurs’ survival and reproduction, we can better focus our conservation efforts in Madagascar,” says Director of Research Erin Ehmke, Ph.D. “And for the lemurs living here in Durham, we can focus our husbandry practices on ways that best accommodate lemurs’ dietary, social, and other needs.”
The one thing all DLC research has in common? We do NOT allow any research that will harm the animals.
The DLC’s lemurs are visited by researchers with interests in conservation, veterinary science, animal care, and biology. In addition, the DLC Museum of Natural History brings the history of the DLC colony (the osteology collection) and the history of primates (35,000 fossils and subfossils) to each of these disciplines. No other zoo or museum combines these resources under one roof.
Conservation
Lemurs are found in the wild only on the island of Madagascar—one of Earth’s most threatened biodiversity hotspots. (Read more in the lavishly illustrated “Island of Evolution: The One and Only Madagascar.”)
For 40 years, the DLC has partnered with the people and organizations of Madagascar to create opportunities for positive change and to play a leading role in protecting lemurs and their natural habitat.
We conduct both in situ and ex situ conservation initiatives, with a strong focus on empowering local communities to be conservation leaders. Our aim is to preserve natural environments, as well as to increase sustainability and resilience. We achieve these goals through activities centered on education, reforestation, sustainable agriculture, alternative protein sources (to reduce hunting), research, conservation breeding programs for critically endangered species, and so much more.
Veterinary Medicine
The DLC is a global authority on lemur medicine and is home to the Anna Borruel Codina Center for Lemur Medicine and Research, the most advanced lemur hospital ever built. We share our expertise with veterinarians, students, and zoos around the world, improving the health and care of lemurs everywhere.
History
The DLC by the numbers. Updated January 2023.
The DLC was established in 1966 as an opportunistic collaboration between two researchers: John Buettner-Janusch of Yale University, who was studying biochemical genetics in lemurs; and Peter Klopfer, a Duke University biologist studying maternal behavior in mammals. Together, the two biologists conceived the idea of establishing a primate facility in Duke Forest that would combine their research perspectives in order to explore the genetic foundations of primate behavior.
