Attention local (Durham, NC) lemur lovers! While we remain closed to the public for tours, we’re excited to announce NEW contactless curbside pick-up for merchandise orders! All purchases “give back” to the lemurs at the DLC, helping fund the Education Department and paying for lemur care, housing, veterinary supplies, and conservation initiatives. Visit Merchandise Sales: […]
DLC-SAVA Conservation forging new collaborations with CURSA, the university of SAVA region: Agroecology workshops By James Herrera, Program Coordinator, DLC-SAVA Conservation My next opportunity to engage with CURSA students and the faculty was during the first DLC-SAVA sustainable agriculture training in the District of Antalaha. During one week, five students took part in a workshop […]
On Day 5 of #BabyWeek2020, the Duke Lemur Center is thrilled to announce the births of Sunshine, Orbit, and Sputnik – a trio of critically endangered black and white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata) born to parents Halley and Ravo! “Triplets were a surprise,” says Melanie Currie, one of the infants’ primary caretakers. “Halley has had […]
Look closely…very closely…there! Our newest baby crowned lemur, Siwa, is still tucked safely around his mother, Seshat’s, belly — and as such is sometimes a little tough to spot! Seshat and father Zuberi are very protective of their little one, so our keepers haven’t gotten close enough yet to tell definitively if Siwa is a […]
By DLC research scientists Marina Blanco, Ph.D. and Lydia Greene, Ph.D. The new conservation assessments for Madagascar’s 107 lemur species have been released by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the updates are, to say the least, alarming. Since the previous assessment, many species have been uplisted, meaning that they are now considered […]
Meet Ripley, a critically endangered black and white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata) born to first-time parents Herschel and Hermione! Ripley was born May 12, 2020 and is named after a crater on Pluto’s moon—which was named after Sigourney Weaver’s character in Alien! Our Ripley is brave, bold, and adventurous, just like her fictional namesake. At feeding […]
CHONK ALERT! When you think “baby dwarf lemur,” you probably think “small.” But Myna (named after the talkative myna bird) is very BIG for her age—and species! Myna has been growing like a weed since she was born on June 3, 2020, and her keepers are very impressed with how big and strong she is. […]
By James P. Herrera, Ph.D. Program Coordinator, DLC-SAVA Conservation Deforestation, especially clearing forest for agriculture, is one of the biggest causes of biodiversity loss in the world. In Madagascar, as in many tropical low-income countries, subsistence farmers that live on the forest frontier often use a system of shifting agriculture that involves slashing (clear-cutting) vegetation, […]