Madagascar

My dear friends, I have a confession to make. When zoo camp was in session, there was a movie hour where the campers watched a computer graphically animated show called Madagascar. I thought it was going to be a film about the region, and having never been there myself, I thought it might be interesting, so I managed to quietly find a perch out of the way and watch. It was more of a cartoon about some funny characters learning valuable life lessons amidst comical chaos. And my confession is that I found it quite amusing! There was an eccentric ring tailed lemur, a hippopotamus, a zebra, a giraffe, several penguins and a misplaced lion.

Here at Ardastra, next to the Secret Garden, there are Ring tailed Lemurs, and after watching this film I decided that I must make more of an effort to get to know my fellow residents. Here are some interesting things I picked up in my research:

If you were to check in one morning on a group of ring-tailed lemurs, you'd likely see them sitting on the ground, facing the sun with their arms outspread. Sort of sun worshipping. Ring-tailed lemurs often spend hours in this position, soaking up the warmth of the sun. And they do it in a group, since they're social animals.

In a troop, or group, of ring-tailed lemurs, which typically numbers between 15 and 20 individuals, females rule. If a squabble breaks out between a male and a female, the female lemur always wins the argument.


The scientific name for the ring-tailed lemur is Lemur catta.

Ring-tailed lemurs spend more time on the ground (and less in the trees) than any other species of lemur.

Lemurs are primates and are related to monkeys and apes.

Lemurs are endangered, mainly due to habitat destruction caused by people who clear land for farming and logging.

One of the lemur's main predators is the catlike fossa, the largest carnivore in Madagascar.

Lemurs are primates and are related to monkeys and apes.

Lemurs are endangered, mainly due to habitat destruction caused by people who clear land for farming and logging.

One of the lemur's main predators is the catlike fossa, the largest carnivore in Madagascar.

Until next week my friends, be well.

"Listen up, you couch potatoes: each recycled beer can saves enough electricity to run a television for three hours."
~ Denis Hayes