Two critically endangered lemurs join Manx zoo

The two brothers arrived at the island's park from the Netherlands

A wildlife park on the Isle of Man has welcomed two new lemurs to its conservation programme.

The Alaotran gentle lemurs have joined Curraghs Wildlife Park as part of a European breeding programme.

Brothers Bam and Bacca were brought to the island from a zoo in the Netherlands and will be paired with females.

Park general manager Kathleen Graham said staff were excited to welcome the new additions as part of conservation efforts.

“We’re really pleased to have this amazing species back at the park, as they need our help more than ever,” she added.

The lemurs will be paired with females as part of a European breeding programme

Alaotran gentle lemurs are a critically endangered, with about 2,500 in their native Madagascar and fewer than 70 in conservation programmes across 21 zoos.

The park successfully bred three in the past, however the species has not been resident on the Isle of Man for more than a year.

The lemurs were previously resident at Apenheul Primate Park in the Netherlands and have joined the island’s park as part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s programme.

The species is critically endangered in the wild

The project is currently sourcing female partners for the pair as part of ongoing efforts to maintain healthy populations.

The transportation of the lemur to the Ballaugh park marked the first import of animals to the park from the EU since Brexit.