Departure of the Blue-eyed Black Lemurs

After a last health check by our veterinarians, our pair of Blue-eyed Black Lemurs has left to Mulhouse Zoo. This transfer was recommended by the EAZA Ex situ Program under the aegis of the Prosimian Taxon Advisory Group and is part of an ambitious project that is crucial for the future of the captive Blue-eyed black lemur population: the creation of two European conservation centers implemented to boost the reproduction of this highly endangered species.

The European population of Blue-eyed black lemurs is in a worrying situation: it currently numbers only about twenty individuals, and the low number of births recorded in recent years makes its future very uncertain.

Mulhouse Zoo, renowned for its expertise in lemur management and reproduction, and Apenheul Park in the Netherlands now coordinate these conservation centers, whose objective is to maximize the species' chances of reproduction by bringing together several breeding pairs within a single institution in specially designed facilities that will both provide peacefulness during the breeding and rearing periods, and flexible layouts that facilitate pair management and ensure the best conditions for females to care for their young in case of birth.

La Palmyre Zoo has contributed to the conservation of the Blue-eyed black lemur for nearly 25 years: it has successively hosted three pairs, recorded two births, and funded the activities of the AEECL on the Sahamalaza Peninsula in Madagascar, the heart of the species' range.

Its commitment to preserving these species, which are among the most threatened in the world, continues with the upcoming arrival of a new lemur species, as well as renewed support for the Red ruffed Lemur conservation program and the Helpsimus association.