The third week in July is always a special time for staff at the Duke Lemur Center. Why? It marks the beginning of National Zookeeper Week! Although we certainly appreciate our keepers every day of the year, we’re making sure to send extra love and recognition this week July 15-21!
Our primate techs are critically important in making sure all 230 animals in our care are thriving. They make sure that all animals are given everything they need: healthy and nutritious food, comfortable shelter, and satisfying social fulfillment.
Behind the public eye, our techs work tirelessly and selflessly to improve the quality of life for each of our individuals here in the DLC colony. This often includes specialized care for infants, close observation of lemur behaviors, providing enrichment, and interacting with the public to promote awareness for our invaluable animals.
Our team is comprised of a group of loving and caring people that always have our lemurs’ best interests at heart. Take a look at some of our photos to see!
We invite you to join us in celebrating the truly remarkable efforts of the DLC’s keepers!
Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these keepers from their appointed rounds! Even in eight inches of snow this January, the DLC’s lemurs were safe and warm thanks to our animal care teams who fed, enriched, and tended the animals with their usual excellence despite the awful weather!
“In my 35 years at the Center, I have never seen such an efficient, hard-working, intelligent and caring group of techs, and the quality of their work can be seen each and every day in the glossy fur, bright eyes, enriched habitats and extraordinary levels of activity enjoyed by all but the most ancient of our 226 lemurs.” –David Haring, DLC Registrar and Photographer
