The creatures living in the North Carolina Zoo’s newest attraction came all the way from Africa to Asheboro.
I’m speaking of the eight lemurs that now call the zoo home. On Friday, I joined my colleagues at the North Carolina Zoo as well as legislators, zoo friends and the media for the official dedication of Lemur Island.
The boulder-filled outcropping loaded with climbing trees and surrounded by water is home to six ring-tailed and two red ruffed lemurs.
Lemurs live only in Madagascar, an island country about the size of California that sits east of Africa. They are the oldest primates, evolving even before monkeys, apes or humans. Like many species, they are endangered as their island home is threatened by rampant deforestation. In bringing them here, we hope people will enjoy them and learn a little about the importance of protecting these rare creatures.
Lemur Island promises to be a big draw, judging from the throng of people who migrated Friday to the zoo’s Africa section for a glimpse of the cute creatures. Perhaps people were drawn to their acrobatics. Lemurs love to entertain, swinging from the trees, wrestling or just grooming each other. Or it may be the fact that lemurs love to socialize and be seen, similar to people.
As I saw the lemurs, I was reminded about what makes the North Carolina Zoo one of the state’s best places to visit. Where else can you travel less than a day and still visit animals from half a world away?
You can learn more at the North Carolina Zoo’s official website, www.nczoo.org.