Yorkshire Wildlife Park Foundation gives Lemurs survival boost

A critically endangered species of lemur has been given a survival boost thanks to a grant from the award winning Yorkshire Wildlife Park Foundation.
blue-eyed black lemurblue-eyed black lemur
blue-eyed black lemur

The three-year award will help establish and run a protected reserve to help save the blue-eyed black lemur from extinction.

Slash and burn land clearing and hunting in its native Madagascar have reduced numbers to less than 1,000 in the wild with experts facing a race against time to save it.

blue-eyed black lemurblue-eyed black lemur
blue-eyed black lemur
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The YWP Foundation grant of £5,000 a year for the next three years will support lemur conservation projects including one that protects the blue-eyed black lemurs’ habitat, educates the local population, develops eco-tourism and studies the animals to improve their survival chances.

Whilst YWP in Branton, Doncaster does not have the blue eyed black lemur – it does have black and white ruffed lemurs and ring tailed lemurs in the walk through reserve Lemur Woods. At Easter the Park celebrated the birth of ring tailed lemur twins to add to their growing troop – and these youngsters are now causing mischief as they grow.

“These are truly beautiful animals - visitors always enjoy watching the lemurs at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, and we hope they will donate funds to this project” said Foundation Trustee Cheryl Williams. “We are delighted to be supporting this initiative which gives hope that the blue-eyed black lemur and other endangered lemurs can return to stronger numbers and other lemur species, all of which are endangered, can also flourish.”

The project is run by the AEECL, a charitable consortium of European zoos and universities, dedicated to lemur conservation. It works in the remote north-west reaches of the Indian Ocean island Madagascar.It has a permanent research station in the region and collaborates with local communities to develop conservation, build schools, fund schoolteachers, restore forests and improve the economy.

blue-eyed black lemurblue-eyed black lemur
blue-eyed black lemur
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Whilst YWP in Branton near Doncaster does not have the blue eyed black lemur – it does have critically endangered black and white ruffed lemurs and endangered ring tailed lemurs in the walkthrough reserve Lemur Woods. At Easter the Park celebrated the birth of ring tailed lemur twins to add to their growing troop – they spent the first few weeks spent clinging closely to their mum Humbug and are now climbing all over her and getting up to mischief with their big brothers and sisters and father Tink.

YWP is home to some of the most endangered and beautiful species in the world, including Amur Tigers, Leopards, Polar Bears, Giraffes, Lions, African hunting dogs amongst other animals – and the charitable activities of the YWPF support these endangered species in the wild as well as welfare projects around the world.

For more information regarding the YWPF and to make a donation visit Yorkshire Wildlife Park Foundation