January 17, 2012
“With great sadness, I write to announce an event that I have dreaded for many months now. Our beloved Romeo, the western hemisphere’s only diademed sifaka to be successfully housed in captivity, died this morning of natural causes after a prolonged illness. Death at the Duke Lemur Center is a rare event, and each one is felt as a grievous loss, but in Romeo’s case, the grief is profound.
Romeo was an exquisitely beautiful creature, and was gentle and responsive to his caretakers. To see him was to be enchanted by him, and for those who cared for him day in and day out, he was a vivid presence. He was also a symbol of hope and optimism. He was a survivor who beat the odds, and was a source of special pride to all of the DLC staff. He first came to the DLC from Madagascar in 1993, along with his mother and an adult male. Sadly, both adults in Romeo’s group died soon after leaving their native Madagascar. All lemurs are fragile creatures, but sifakas are especially vulnerable. They are devoted leaf eaters, and as such, have an extremely sensitive digestive system. Romeo, perhaps because he was still nursing from his mother, adapted to his new environment, and survived. He went on to live to be 19 years old, an age far beyond what could be hoped for in the wild. His long and rich life is a testament to the remarkable care that he received from the DLC staff over the years.
We will miss our beautiful boy.”
-Dr. Anne Yoder
DLC Director
