A family of ring-tailed lemurs will soon be available for public viewing at Henry Vilas Zoo, which extended a home to the primates as part of a national campaign to preserve the nearly endangered species, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said in a press release Thursday.
According to the release, deforestation is erasing the natural habitat of the lemur population, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is offsetting the loss by placing ring-tailed lemurs in zoos across America.
Vilas Zoo Director Ronda Schwetz said the lemurs will also provide “fun and educational opportunities” to the community.
The lemur family will take the place of Vilas Zoo’s two chimpanzees, Magadi and Cookie, who will be transported to Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo because the AZA recently found chimpanzees live most successfully in captivity with three to six other chimps. According to the release, Magadi will be reunited with her daughter Vicki at Lincoln Park.
