Don’t forget the lemurs: Calgary Zoo eagerly anticipates new exhibit
Posted Sep 30, 2016 6:47 am.
Last Updated Sep 30, 2016 6:48 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Giant pandas may be the rock stars of the animal kingdom, but they aren’t the only new residents eagerly anticipated by the Calgary Zoo.
Spokesperson Trish Exton-Parder is bringing attention back to a new lemur exhibit set to open in spring 2017, ahead of the red carpet roll-out for four panda bears on loan from China in 2018.
The animals are an incredibly endangered species in Madagascar.
“A lot of the construction at the east end of the island that people are being very patient with right now has to do with the building of the lemur habitat, so, it’s land that’s never had animals on it before, sort of east of the lions and that’s all going to be redone,” she said. “Really cool species to see – and people will be able to get very close to them and learn about deforestation which is the big problem for that species in the wild.”
The zoo’s project even caught the attention of funnyman John Cleese, who is serious about conservation, in 2013.
The actor received a walk-through of the area being built, and Cleese gave them his stamp of approval.
“I mean, he’s one of the biggest fans and very connected into the zoo world, so, we had him help us out, get the word out originally, so we just have to remind everyone that this is actually coming in next year,” she said.
(John Cleese says hello to Samkha, the Amur tiger, during his visit to the Calgary Zoo in 2013. Photo courtesy Calgary Zoo)
