The Denver Zoo is home to two new residents, a pair of rare mongoose lemurs.
This is the first time the species has been at the Denver Zoo. There are only 48 other mongoose lemurs in 11 other zoos in North America, said Ana Bowie, spokeswoman for the zoo. The pair, a male named Jose-Luis and a female named Adrianna, can be seen in the Emerald Forest Building.
The mongoose lemurs are classified as vulnerable by the World Conservation Union. Habitat destruction is the primary threat to mongoose lemurs in the wild. The mongoose lemur’s range is now reduced to small scattered patches of dry forest in northwestern Madagascar in the Ankarafantsika Reserve, Bowie said. The current wild population is estimated to be between 1,000 and 10,000 animals. Mongoose lemurs have soft, gray-brown fur, pale gray muzzles and black noses. The males have reddish-brown cheeks, and the females are distinguishable by their white cheeks.
Howard Pankratz, The Denver Post
