Ruffed Lemurs and Ring-tailed Lemurs Now Share Prague Zoo's Lemur Island

In recent days, it is the ruffed lemurs rather than visitors that have been relaxing on the benches. While ring-tailed lemurs most often bask sitting upright, ruffed lemurs adopt a variety of positions. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

“We’re relieved that the groups have been successfully introduced. Experience from other institutions had at times suggested the opposite,” says Prague Zoo’s Curator of Primates, Jan Mengr. “Their cohabitation has exceeded expectations. Each troop has its own ‘home base’, which they do not allow the other group to enter, and they largely ignore one another throughout the day.”

Although the ring-tailed lemurs are more numerous on the island, the ruffed lemurs have the advantage in size. The group of these distinctly black-and-white primates numbers four males, while their unmistakable ring-tailed cohabitants comprise six animals: five females and one male. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

The introduction on Lemur Island took place gradually. For the first two weeks, the ruffed lemurs remained behind the scenes, where they could be observed by the ring-tailed lemurs. This was followed by their first outings onto the island, after which the two groups alternated access. Their first shared encounter in the exhibit also went surprisingly smoothly.

Visitors can learn fascinating facts about the lives of these Malagasy endemics during guided animal talks, held daily at 3:00 pm on Lemur Island. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

“The ruffed lemurs quickly made themselves at home on the island and have become particularly fond of basking on the benches,” explains Prague Zoo lemur keeper Nikola Kučerová. “The ring-tailed lemurs, on the other hand, enjoy climbing trees and shrubs. The two species occasionally chase one another, but minor scuffles tend to occur mainly when I bring food.”

Prague Zoo plans to allocate the enclosure vacated by the ruffed lemurs to another Malagasy endemic species in due course.

The safety of both visitors and animals is overseen by Prague Zoo staff. Naturally, visitors must not feed or touch the animals. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo