Happy World Lemur Day from the DLC! 🌍

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Happy fall and World Lemur Day (October 25th) from the Duke Lemur Center! Photo of two-month-old aye-aye Melisandre by David Haring.

IN THIS ISSUE: John Cleese for Duke Lemur Center, five lemur species added to 25 MOST ENDANGERED PRIMATES list, new aye-ayes Melisandre and Fady, acupuncture for elderly lemurs, National Fossil Day, and more

JOHN CLEESE-DLC COLLABORATION FOR WORLD LEMUR DAY: In honor of the 80th birthday (on October 27) of legendary British comedian and lemur supporter John Cleese, the Duke Lemur Center is releasing a brand-new commercial starring John and the lemurs of the DLC! This new spot is premiering for World Lemur Day (October 25), to spread awareness for the plight of lemurs everywhere and to inform people how they can help by symbolically adopting their very own lemur through the Adopt a Lemur program right here at the DLC.

John Cleese, producer Joe Whelski of Secret Station Films in NYC, and all others involved in the project have lent their time and talent to the commercial pro bono, without charge to the DLC. We are so incredibly grateful, and we’re thrilled with the final result!

Watch the Video

Photo by photojournalist and DLC volunteer Bob Karp.

The Adopt a Lemur program helps fund the $8,400 per year cost to care for one lemur at the DLC, as well as aiding our conservation efforts in Madagascar. And, adoption packages make GREAT gifts for the holidays! Our special Ring-tailed lemur holiday package with a plushie is now available!

Adopt a Lemur

Melisandre, approximately 12 hours old. The infant was born between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on August 13, 2019 and weighed for the first time (when this photo was taken) the morning of September 14. Photo by David Haring.

WELCOME, BABY MELISANDRE! Have you heard the news? Melisandre, a rare baby aye-aye, was born at the Duke Lemur Center on August 13, 2019! The daughter of 23-year-old Ardrey and 9-year-old Grendel, “Mel” is one of nine aye-ayes at the DLC and one of only 25 of her kind in the United States.

See the Birth Announcement

Dr. Camille Sherrod performs acupuncture on Comet at the Duke Lemur Center; 34-year-old Comet lounges in the sunshine (and sticks his tongue out at photographer David Haring!) in September 2019; twins Judith and Mae, sired by Comet in 2018. Photos by David Haring and Sara Clark.

ACUPUNCTURE FOR ELDERLY LEMURS? YES, PLEASE! When 34-year-old Comet, a critically endangered red ruffed lemur, was treated for an injury but plateaued before making a full recovery, Duke Lemur Center veterinarians turned to local acupuncturist Camille Sherrod, D.V.M., of Retrieving Balance Mobile Vet. The result? Acupuncture therapy for the aging lemur — a first in lemur care.

Learn More

PRIMATES IN PERIL: Five lemur species have the sad honor of being named among the 25 Most Endangered Primates: aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), indri (Indri indri), Bemanasy mouse lemur (Microcebus manitatra), Lake Alaotra gentle lemur (Hapalemur alaotrensis), and James’ sportive lemur (Lepilemur jamesorum).

Read the Full Report

Photo by David Haring.

WELCOME, FADY! Meet the DLC's newest resident, Fady, a four-year-old female aye-aye who travelled with two keepers via a FedEx plane from the San Diego Zoo on September 18! Fady is the daughter of Styx, who was born at the DLC, and sire Nerina, who is unrelated to any DLC aye-aye. The lovely Fady has a SSP (Species Survival Plan) recommendation to breed with nine-year-old Grendel, who is the father of our newest aye-aye infant, Melisandre. Our fingers are crossed!

Learn about the DLC's Conservation Breeding Program

Drs. Peter Klopfer, Ken Glander, and Matt Cartmill — three former directors of the Duke Lemur Center — at this year's Mission: Madagascar gala. Photo by David Haring.

MISSION: MADAGASCAR GALA -- RECAP AND IMAGE GALLERY: What a wonderful evening we had on October 5, 2019 at the Duke Lemur Center! With about 175 guests and sponsors attending this year’s gala in addition to DLC staff and volunteers, our tent was quite full during the formal program. In total, the event raised more than $100,000 of support for the DLC’s Madagascar Conservation Programs!

Read More and See Photos

The skull of Notharctus, a lemur-like primate found in the ancient jungles of Wyoming. This skull was found with a skeleton. You can see the tail in the rock in the background. Photo by Matt Borths.

OCTOBER 16 WAS NATIONAL FOSSIL DAY! Did you know the DLC is responsible for preserving and protecting lemur-like primates collected on federally protected land? Animals like this Notharctus are part of the lemur family tree, even though they're found in rocks that are over 50 million years old! These fossils are part of our national heritage and we are working on making them easier for you to examine.

One way to support the DLC Division of Fossil Primates is by checking out our Amazon Wish list to help ensure the lab is equipped for new fossil projects. The DFP-specific list starts with items added 12/19/2018.

One of the items on our list that we really need is a jigsaw. We protect the fossils is by building custom cradles that support the fossil blocks and large, delicate fossils. To build the cradles we've been borrowing a saw, but as new material comes in, we'd love to have one in the lab!

Shop the Wishlist

Tours: https://lemur.duke.edu/engage/tours/
Donate: https://lemur.duke.edu/donate/
Staff Directory: https://lemur.duke.edu/people/

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