London’s ultimate bachelor pad

ZSL London Zoo unveils brand new walk-through lemur exhibit

Nestled in the heart of leafy Regent's Park, kitted out with the best accessories, and with a desirable NW1 postcode, London's newest bachelor pad will soon be home to some very handsome males; a troop of 16 lemurs.

Opening on Saturday 28 March, In with the Lemurs is a brand new walk-through exhibit at ZSL London Zoo, where visitors will be able to get closer than ever before to a troop of 15 ring-tail lemurs and one black and white ruffed lemur.

Designed by the Zoo's expert keepers and horticulturalists, In with the Lemurs will take visitors on a journey through the Madagascan shrub forest where the evolutionarily unique primates will be leaping, climbing and lounging all around them.

Renowned sun-worshippers, the lemurs love nothing more than an afternoon spent sunbathing. With this in mind the Zoo's dedicated architects carefully mapped the path of the sunlight on the new exhibit to ensure their basking platforms are purposefully located to maximise lounging time.

With an uncertain future in the wild, lemurs face a daily struggle to survive due to extensive habitat loss, and over-hunting. In with the Lemurs will give the Zoo's visitors a glimpse of these threats in the exhibit's replica timber mill, highlighting the devastating effect the industry has on the lemurs' wild habitat.

Ring-tail lemurs are classified as endangered on the IUCN red-list, as are black and white ruffed lemurs, which are also listed on international conservation charity ZSL's EDGE of Existence programme, due to the threat to their survival and evolutionary distinctiveness.

Tickets are on sale now for Easter at ZSL London Zoo. Beat the queues and make a date to see In with the Lemurs by booking online at www.zsl.org

-ENDS-

Editors' Notes

High resolution images of ring-tailed lemurs and artist's impression of new exhibit available here:

https://zslondon.sharefile.com/d/se7b2607b0ea41d69

Media Contact

Rebecca Blanchard

E: Rebecca.blanchard@zsl.org

T: 0207 449 6236

In with the Lemurs

In with the Lemurs, ZSL London Zoo's newest exhibit opens to the public on Saturday 28 March. Home to 16 male lemurs, including ring-tail lemurs and a black and white ruffed lemur, visitors will walk among the forest home of the playful primates as they leap and climb overhead. Combining an incredible visitor experience with the opportunity to raise awareness of the threats lemurs face in the wild and ZSL's conservation efforts in Madagascar, In with the Lemurs is a must-see new attraction at ZSL London Zoo.

Ring-tailed lemurs

Lemurs are primates found only on the African island of Madagascar. Due to its geographic isolation, Madagascar is home to many amazing animals found nowhere else on Earth and lemurs have evolved in isolation from other primates over centuries. Identified by their iconic monochrome striped tail, ring-tail lemurs use their hands and feet to climb nimbly through the trees, but cannot grip with their tails as some of their primate cousins can. Ring-tailed lemurs also spend a lot of time on the ground, which is unusual among lemur species. They forage for fruit, which makes up the greater part of their diet, but also eat leaves, flowers, tree bark, and sap. Ring-tailed lemurs have powerful scent glands and use their unique odour to mark their territory, as a communication tool and even as a defence mechanism.

Black and white ruffed lemurs

Black and white ruffed lemurs are ranked on ZSL's EDGE of Existence programme. The black and white ruffed lemurs are the largest living members of the family Lemurinae. They have been excessively hunted, and much of their habitat has been deforested. The range of the black and white ruffed lemur extends in a line down the eastern Malagasay coast from a southern limit around the Mananara River near Vangaindrano to a northern limit somewhat north and west of Maroantsetra, on the Bay of Antongil. However, the remaining population is sporadically distributed and has undergone a decline of over 80% in the last 27 years.

http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php?id=115

EDGE of Existence

Using a scientific framework to identify the world's most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species, the EDGE of Existence programme highlights and protects some of the weirdest and most wonderful species on the planet. EDGE species have few close relatives on the tree of life and are often extremely unusual in the way they look, live and behave, as well as in their genetic make-up. Representing a unique and irreplaceable part of the world's natural heritage, an alarming number of them are currently sliding silently towards extinction.

http://www.zsl.org/conservation/species/edge-of-existence

Zoological Society of London (ZSL)

Founded in 1826, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international scientific, conservation and educational charity whose mission is to promote and achieve the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. Our mission is realised through our ground-breaking science, our active conservation projects in more than 70 countries and our two Zoos, ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. For more information visit www.zsl.org