These lemurs were born to dance!
Earlier today, England's Chester Zoo announced to its Facebook page that it was welcoming a pair of incredibly rare 'dancing' lemurs as part of its conservation breeding program to help save the species from extinction. The pair — female Beatrice and male Elliot — made the 4,000-mile journey to England from the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina.
Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.
Called Coquerel's sifaka lemurs, these tiny dancers are native to the island of Madagascar. But sadly, due to deforestation, the zoo says that the species has experienced an 80% decrease in population size over the last 30 years. As a result, the lemurs are now listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List.
Conservationists with the Chester Zoo have been protecting Madagascan species and their habitats for over a decade.
Said the zoo on Facebook: "In 2015, the Malagasy government established The Mangabe New Protected Area, co-managed by the zoo's field partner Madagasikara Voakajy and the communities that live in the Mangabe region, providing a safe haven for more than nine species of lemur, as well as lots of other threatened species living on the island."
The zoo's new conservation breeding program for the Coquerel's sifaka lemurs is the world's first conservation program for the primate. And the Chester Zoo's pair also happens to be the first of its kind to set foot in Europe.
"It's a real, real privilege to be able to care for this enthralling species and we're sure that visitors to the zoo will love learning all about them," Holly Webb, Primate Keeper at Chester Zoo told Storyful.
Coquerel's sifaka lemurs are typically 18 inches tall and have 18-inch tails. Like other lemurs, says National Geographic, Sifaka lemurs tend to hang out in trees; however, their powerful legs allow them to clear distances of over 30 feet, and when on land, they move in a sideways gallop. Video from the Chester Zoo shows Beatrice and Elliot galloping around their new home.
Many Chester Zoo-goers are thrilled to finally meet the pair in person.
"Wow they look great, can't wait to see them," said one Facebook commenter.
"Are they in the enclosures already," another Facebook commenter asked. "My eight-year-old [has] been asking the keepers for over a year to see when they arrive! He will explode with excitement when he finds out!!"
Beatrice and Elliot are exciting additions to the zoo and conservationists at large.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sara Santora is a Newsweek reporter based in Florida. Her focus is reporting on viral social media posts and trends. ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
