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In Situ Conservation NEWSN°4/august 2017 Editorial Announcement: EAZA conference at in situ conservation the door! Red-ruffed lemur reintroduction project in Farankaraina forest: a picture story! This year’s EAZA annual conference will Below some pictures of the field mission take place in Emmen, the Netherlands conducted by the researchers of the GERP from 19. - 23. September. (Groupe d’Etude et de Recherche sur les Primates The Prosimian TAG will have two de Madagascar) in early spring to assess the meetings – the “working meeting” feasibility of red-ruffed lemur releases in Farankaraina forest. They carried out a lemur for TAG members on Thursday, 21. inventory and analysed the different plants they September, 14.00 h – 16.00 h, and eat. As you see, there are ongoing threats on Eulemur albifrons in Farankaraina forest the “open meeting” with reports and red-ruffed lemur habitat in Ambolohosy (near presentations on Friday, 22. September, Masoala NP) and funds are needed to complete 11.00 h – 13.00 h. (Note that the the study. annual meeting of AEECL is scheduled To support the project, contact Delphine Roullet: for Friday, 22. September, 8.30 h – [email protected] 10.30 h.) A main topic of the open meeting will be the “new” EEP for Black-and-white ruffed lemurs which will certainly be of interest for the many holders of Ruffed Phenological study in Farankaraina forest lemurs. Topics for the “working meeting” (Guests –with prior announcement are Panoramic view of Farankaraina forest welcome) will be “defining roles and goals for Prosimian EEPs” as the basis for revision of the Regional Collection Plan. We will also summarize the cooperation with ex situ facilities in Madagascar. Illegal logging in red-ruffed lemur habitat in Ambolohosy We are looking forward to meet most if not all TAG members at these occasions End-of-semester evaluation for the and will appreciate active involvement Establishing the transect lines Bandar Baru environmental school and contributions from interested The school year has ended in Bandar Baru colleagues! where the Kukang Rescue Program established its rescue and rehabilitation centre for slow Achim Johann lorises. EAZA Prosimian TAG chair All the children of the environmental school are [email protected] taught English twice a week and environmental issues once a week. At the end of the year, they Florence Perroux received a written evaluation of their English EAZA Prosimian TAG Education manager language proficiency and as well as a written [email protected] assessment of their environmental knowledge Degraded forest in red-ruffed lemur habitat in Ambolohosy level. in situ conservation Wanna enjoy a 360°virtual tour of the living on Helpsimus’ study area to four: the Kukang Rescue Program rehabilitation greater bamboo lemur (Prolemur simus), centre? Just follow the link and move your the Ranomafana bamboo lemur (Hapalemur mouse to look around: griseus ranomafanensis), the https://tinyurl.com/ybjarghr red-bellied lemur (Eulemur rubriventer) and the Peyriéras’ wolly lemur (Avahi peyrierasi). A fourth species of lemur identified by Helpsimus on the AEECL second quarterly report Environmental school - Kukang Rescue Program Bamboo Lemur program site available Evidence for the presence of a fourth The report on AEECL activities from April to species of lemur on Helpsimus’ study area June 2017 is available for download here: has just been brought from the field! It has https://tinyurl.com/yaxfm9ng long been known that a second species of bamboo lemur lives on the Bamboo Lemur program site but Helpsimus didn’t manage Malagasy Primatological to take any picture until now! It is very likely Society inaugural Congress a Ranomafana bamboo lemur (Hapalemur griseus ranomafanensis). GERP Madagascar is launching the Malagasy Primatological Society Congress. It will take place at the ISSED Prices awarded to the best students Barikadimy Toamasina from December 13 to 16, 2017. The theme is «Valuing Best students were awarded special prizes in the achievements on lemur conservation the presence of their family and the teachers and research in Madagascar». It aims to Novitasari Br Bangun (Public awareness create opportunities for primatologists coordinator of the KRP) and her two to present and share their experiences assistants Sifa and Yanty. on lemur conservation as well as to The school, which also received new tables update the distribution and habitat and equipment, is mostly supported by status of lemurs in order to improve Liberec Zoo together with the main partners decision-making in conservation. of the KRP: Ostrava and Olomouc Zoos. Useful contacts: Pr. Jonah Ratsimbazafy, Congratulations to all the students! That brings the number of lemur species [email protected] News from zoos New breeding pair of crowned observed positive reactions from the two sifakas at Besançon Zoo individuals who gently approached each Raozy, a 3 year-old female crowned other through the mesh. sifaka born at Apenheul Primate Park was recently transferred to the The direct contact took place on the Citadelle of Besançon as part of a following morning: as soon as the hatch recommendation from the European was opened between the cages, the Breeding Program for the species. sifakas showed affiliative behaviors and stood side by side. All the staff is delighted by these promising debuts! World first: birth of a diademed sifaka in Vakona Forest Lodge, Madagascar The female Voahirana gave birth to a Eridan & Raozy, Besançon Zoo healthy baby on June 29. The father Elliot arrived at the park when he was a There she met Eridan, a male born in juvenile orphan. Paris Zoo and hosted in Besançon since 2015. The day of her arrival, Raozy The baby, named Caramel, is a male. This was put in a cage contiguous to that is the very first birth in captivity for this of Eridan. The keepers immediately species! @Photo credit: Yohann - Vakona News from zoos Sorja has passed away the conservation of this species and led Nycticebus bengalensis and Nycticebus to the creation of Helpsimus. coucang has sent us the following information: «The 6 lorises rescued from On a personal level, Sorja has been an Hong-Kong are all paired-up! Mating was amazing professor. She taught me a lot observed and perhaps even 2 pregnant about greater bamboo lemurs’ biology females already!». and behaviour. My experience of assisted rearing with her and the mistakes I This is a very good news for the species have made led me to rethink hand- recently reclassified as Endangered by rearing. It resulted in the elaboration of the IUCN Red List. Sorja, 2 months old a specific hand-rearing protocol that we successfully set up in Paris Zoo for the «Sorja was a female greater bamboo crowned sifakas. New African nocturnal exhibit in lemur born on May 8, 2000 at Paris Zoo. Ostrava Zoo Her mother had abandoned her just We may sometimes forget the after the delivery, something I have importance of individuals in our rarely seen within the captive population breeding programs and conservation of this species. However, this may projects. But individuals of this kind, happen if a female gives birth while which play a key role in our life, remind there is another breeding female in the us that each animal is special and group. That was the case within Sorja’s invaluable. group as two females, of which Sorja’s mother, were breeding. Thus Sorja was raised by hand. New exhibit Then she was introduced to a male Ostrava Zoo’s former Pachyderm building named Nounzo before being transferred has been rebuilt to now host smaller to Besancon where she lived all her life. species. Among them, two species of She died on April 4, 2017 at the age of prosimians: the northern greater galago 17 years old. (Otolemur garnettii) and the Senegal bushbaby (Galago senegalensis). At Besancon Sorja successfully raised 4 babies from 3 different males. As she The new exhibit, called “Night was the best breeder of the captive Tanganyika”, seems to be suited for population, in 2010 I decided to pair these species as the zoo already her with Raphael, a male representing recorded the birth of four Senegal a new bloodline for the European bushbabies. Cameras have been put captive population born at Ivoloina, inside nest boxes allowing the keepers to Madagascar to ensure that we would observe the neonates and the behavior get descendants from him in the of the animals. More information about this very short term. Both gave birth to a new exhibit and also video footage is avalaible daughter named Hajao who is currently from Frantisek Pribrsky: [email protected] Sorja and her baby successfully raising her first baby at Lyon Camera view on the newborn galago with mum Zoo! Sorja’s death is a deep loss for the Sorja was a very special individual: she greater bamboo lemur captive breeding is the first and only one at the moment program. She will remain in my memory hand-reared greater bamboo lemur. as an essential contributor to the Despite being hand-reared, she had been conservation of its species and one of a wonderful mother and a significant my best lemurs’ encounter in my whole contributor to the captive breeding life.» program and to the conservation of the species. Delphine Roullet Prosimian TAG Vice-Chair Greater bamboo lemur EEP coordinator She also had a strong personality. She was quite small but plump, and her jaw was a bit crooked. She used to suck the tip of her tail. She was unique but she Update about the Bengal slow and the other captive greater bamboo lorises imported to UK lemurs have engaged European zoos in Nic Dunn, the ESB coordinator for Otolemur garnettii feeding zoos for zoos for lemurs Some news about Mozart Collaboration agreement which represents 40% of the collection, Reminder: the mongoose lemur Mozart between the red-ruffed lemur among them 14 red-bellied lemurs and was transferred from Europe to Lemurs’ EEP and Vakona Forest Lodge 8 crowned lemurs.
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