I am curious as to which lemur exhibit members here consider to be the best in terms of exhibit design. I am guessing most people would say Madagascar at the Bronx Zoo? Also, do any zoo exhibit black and white ruffed lemurs with any other species or do they simply not mix well with ring tailed?
'Madagascar' at Cotswold Wildlife Park is of a very high standard mixing Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs, Ring-Tailed Lemurs (there's an answer to you're question), Black Lemurs & Collared Lemurs with Night Herons, Purple Gallinule, Madagascarn Teals & Radiated Tortoises in a grassy enclosure with plenty of climbing oppurtunities and a waterfall pool. Verruex's Sifaka & Alatoran Gentle Lemur are also kept in enclosures to the side. Here's info on the exhibit at the park's site. Lemur Wood at Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park keeps Ring-Tailed, Black-and-White Ruffed, Red Fronted, White Fronted and Red Bellied Lemurs in a HUGE piece of dense, enriching woodland.
The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle has an outstanding red ruffed lemur exhibit, and in this photo a lemur can be seen near the bottom right hand corner. They have full access to all of the tall trees in the habitat, and I really think that all zoo enclosures should be like this one: spacious and naturalistic. http://www.zoochat.com/622/woodland-park-zoo-red-ruffed-lemur-44443/ There is of course the excellent "Madagascar!" house at the Bronx Zoo, which replicates the natural environment with an indoor setting: http://www.zoochat.com/547/bronx-zoo-madagascar-41220/ Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo has a traditional, outdoor island that is enormous and completely covered with lush foliage. There are very few climbing structures, and the island looks as if it has been allowed to run completely wild. The downside is that it is extremely difficult to spot the lemurs that call the exhibit their home: http://www.zoochat.com/569/omahas-henry-doorly-zoo-lemur-island-45476/ As you can see I value the naturalistic look, and there have been various zoo photos posted in the ZooChat gallery with lemur exhibits that include children's slides and other toys. I personally feel that realism is the key to truly spectacular zoo exhibits for all animals, especially creatures that are as engaging with visitors as ever-popular lemurs. I visited the Zurich Zoo in 2003, and the Masoala Rainforest is a brilliant habitat for a few lemur species.
Blackpool Zoo exhibit black and white ruffed lemurs with ring tailed. I thought this enclosure was a quite nice walk through, but lacked a few more climbing opportunities. Chester Zoos lemurs are all housed on seperate yet beautifully big island that are lush with vegation, definitely one of the better enclosures I have seen.
Anyone going to throw in a vote for Masoala at Zurich? I've never seen it myself, but the photos and video I've seen would seem to certainly make it a contender.
@Ituri: I mentioned the Masoala Rainforest exhibit in my original response, and that is an outstanding building that is amongst the best of its kind. It is a pity that there are not hundreds of photos from the Zurich Zoo in the gallery.
At bioparc Valencia, in "Madagascar" exhibit they have 7 lemurs species including: ring tailed, black and white and red ruffed lemurs , Alaotran gentle lemur, mongoose lemurs, red bellied and red-fronted lemurs, but when the two ruffed species are on display, they can fighting, for this reason they can´t be together in the outdoor exhibit.
Are all of the Valencia lemurs exhibited in the same enclosure, or are there separate spaces? The few photos I've seen are intriguing.... The Bronx exhibits are the best I've seen at representing the true diversity of Madagascan lemur habitats--the karst outcroppings for sifakas, spiny forest for ring-tails and browns, Masoala tropical forest for Red ruffed. Omaha's upcoming exhibits look interesting, but may just end up being fairly generic "islands" with similar vegetation and fake trees for all species. The most ambitious outdoor lemur exhibit I've seen is San Francisco, where a very large grove of tall trees is surrounded by moated and ramped viewing, and houses at least 4 species together. It looks nothing like Madagascar however, and the artificial "enrichment" structures (which are no longer operating) look quite ugly
The exhibit in Valencia represent two islands, "wet (the first one) and dry tropical Malagasy forest" with some species in a habitat and some in another, with only a bridge (for the public, but available for the lemurs too),separating them. landscapes pics: http://www.zoochat.com/180/photos-before-opening-general-public-64453/ http://www.zoochat.com/180/madagascar-general-view-65616/ http://www.zoochat.com/180/madagascar-landscape-65615/ http://www.zoochat.com/180/ring-tailed-lemurs-formation-35134/
It's worthwhile for real zoo fanatics to pick up a copy of the DVD "The Penguins of Madagascar" from Nickelodeon/Dreamworks. It includes a Special Feature "Going MAD at the Bronx Zoo," with great footage of the new Madagascar exhibit and its resident lemurs, mongooses, fossa etc.
