Expanded laboratory and surgery spaces, examination rooms, and recovery areas will provide state-of-the-art care for the DLC's irreplaceable colony of lemurs and lorises.
A separate, dedicated quarantine and isolation space will improve our ability to isolate certain animals as needed, and provide a critical first line of defense against deadly viruses that could spread throughout the colony.
The new Medical Center will showcase the DLC’s expert care of lemurs in a state-of-the-art space that will purposefully engage visiting animal care experts, educators, scientists, and students -- experiences that will only be found at the Duke Lemur Center, on the campus of Duke University:
1. A larger conference room and new open workstations will accommodate visiting professionals who are consulting with DLC vets on difficult procedures, as well as students, researchers, and animal care professionals (such as zookeepers) studying lemur medicine and care.
2. An expanded meeting space will facilitate even greater collaboration between DLC husbandry staff, veterinarians, and research staff.
3. Observation areas along the main tour path will promote public interest and engagement by encouraging visitors to watch, listen to, and learn from DLC veterinarians and animal care staff.
A dedicated medical center will enable the DLC to attract more competitive and innovative non-invasive research projects, with the goal of promoting longer, better lives for lemurs at Duke and beyond. What we learn here in Durham, NC is shared with zoos and other institutions around the world -- thus a new medical center here could have global impact.
