Meet magnificent Malala Settling in well to Bristol Zoo
By Joel, 16, Jill Dando News Correspondent
Bristol Zoo recently welcomed a new male Alaotran gentle lemur, called Malala, from Parken Zoo in Sweden.
He is joining their female Tiana as part of a crucial breeding programme to conserve this critically endangered species.
Critically Endangered Alaotran gentle lemur are small primates native to the island of Madagascar. Covered in dense woolly hair with long, fluffy tails, they are the only primate species in the world to live exclusively in a wetland environment.
Described as a “honey-coloured teddy bear,” Alaotran gentle lemurs can be found within the Cyperus and reed stems of the marsh around Lake Alaotra in Eastern Madagascar but are under threat from habitat loss for rice fields, bushmeat hunting and the pet trade.
Despite being a biodiversity hotspot, Madagascar’s species are under threat, with lemurs classed as the most endangered group of mammals in the world.
Sam Matthews, Senior Animal Keeper for Bristol Zoological Society, said:
“Malala is a friendly and confident lemur who has settled in nicely to his new home here at Bristol Zoo Project. To ensure that his arrival went smoothly, he was kept separate from Tiana, our female gentle lemur, for a couple of days to acclimatise.
“During this time Tiana was very interested in the new boy next door, and they sat next to one another, on either side of a mesh divide, very companionably, which made us feel optimistic that they would get along well.
The pair have now been introduced to one another and are getting on famously. Malala was seen to groom Tiana almost instantly.”
