[T]he hit ‘Madagascar’ movies have brought the exploits of King Julien and his colony of plucky lemurs to the attention of millions across the globe. Now, visitors from The Lake District Wildlife Park near Keswick have been helping raise funds to protect his real-life counterparts back on the world’s fourth largest island.
The Cumbrian attraction is actively supporting British charity SEED Madagascar, by donating10% of ticket sales to its popular ‘Lemur Encounter’ experiences, which bring people face-to-face with the Park’s troop of Ring-Tailed Lemurs.
In recent months, visitors have raised almost £750, which has now been officially presented to the charity to directly support one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet.
Lake District Wildlife Park’s Education and Marketing Co-ordinator, Lucy Dunn, says, “There are more than 100 different species of lemurs found in the mountain forests of Madagascar, but most are endangered due to deforestation and hunting for food and the pet trade. Regularly donating money to SEED Madagascar and educating our visitors about the importance of protecting these gentle, inquisitive creatures is a key part of our conservation work.
“As well as being home to a troop of Ring-Tailed Lemurs, we house two Red Ruffed Lemurs as part of the European Endangered Species breeding programme and successfully breed the critically endangered Black and White Ruffed lemurs. Genuine thanks go to our visitors who show such interest and enthusiasm for these special creatures, and enable us to continue making these valuable donations.”
And there’s a new arrival too… The Lake District Wildlife Park has just welcomed a new baby lemur. The new addition joins the existing troop of Ring-Tailed Lemurs.
