ASIS - THE SUN LOVING LEMUR

I am named Asis (the West-Kenyan sun god's name), mainly because just like him I am a tad overweight and I love lazing about in the African sunshine.

When humans see me, they actually think that I am a sun worshipper, perhaps a Buddhist lemur, most definitely meditating or in some weird trance, but in actual fact I am merely regulating my body temperature.

Sun bathing is my passion. I enjoy every minute. Move over Miss Hilton - here I come!

Did you know that us Ring-tailed lemurs enjoy the sun? Although we don't "tan", we like to spend some time "sunning" ourselves. We sit on our back legs and turn our arms out so that the undersides are exposed to the sun. You will therefore often find us sitting in the sun when temperatures are colder.

The sad thing is that there aren't many Ringtail lemurs like me left in the World. Ring-tailed lemurs have already been classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. This means that they are at high risk of extinction. The total number of wild ring-tailed lemurs is unknown but estimated to be 10,000 - 100,000 - yet there are more than 6.2 billion humans in the World! (about 910 000 people are born every hour)

Madagascar is known as a conservation "hot spot" because of the high number of threatened species that can only be found on this island which is roughly half the size of South Africa. Like many species in Madagascar, ring-tailed lemurs are severely threatened by habitat loss. They need some forest cover to survive. They do not do well in areas where the forest has grown back after a disturbance. Slash-and-burn agriculture and wood mining for fuel, construction, and industry are major contributors to forest loss. Ring-tailed lemurs are also hunted for food and kept as pets. Thankfully Ring-tailed lemurs are protected to varying degrees in different reserves in Madagascar and also in forest patches considered to be sacred by local people. A research centre has been established at Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, providing instruction and conservation education to local and international students as well as tourists.

Did You Know? All of the ring-tailed lemurs in a group (males and females) help care for infants. The group will even adopt and raise orphans! Occasionally this goodwill goes too far and a female "kidnaps" an infant and will not return it to its mother.

Information supplied by:
Lara Mostert

www.monkeyland.co.za
www.birdsofeden.co.za

WILD ANIMAL CLUBS, ORGANISATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS