Hello, I’m Dr Sara Fontani from the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom and I’m a primatologist. I’m here to talk about captive lemur’s welfare, reproduction and conservation. Please ask me anything!

Is it true that lemurs like to "move it, move it"?

No! They are very different from you see in the movie ;-)

Hi! Why are Gentle Lemurs called gentle? Are they particularly peaceful or nice to each other?

Hi! They are called gentle lemurs as they look like fluffy
teddy bears! They are also called Alaotran bamboo lemurs as their habitat is
restricted to the wetlands surrounding Lac Alaotra, Madagascar, and they eat a variety
of marsh vegetation, with papyrus reeds and bamboo making up a large proportion
of their diet.
However, they leave in small groups and usually are not
aggressive each other (but hostile behaviours can occur during the breeding
season).

Thank you for the work you are doing to help these beautiful creatures. Will you be setting up a release program?

Many thanks! My research project
aims to improve captive breeding success. Hopefully, some of these individuals
may be reintroduced into their habitat in the future. At the moment, other colleagues are working on the safeguard of
the gentle lemurs’ environment in Madagascar, as it is very restricted and
threatened by habitat destruction due to reed beds being burned and the lake
drained for rice irrigation. Durrell Wildlife Conservation
Trust – Jersey Zoo is coordinating the international efforts for the
conservation of this species.

What is something surprising about lemurs the general public might not know?

Also, where do you see the future of academia in the UK going?

Gentle lemurs are cathemeral (they are active day and night) and the only
lemur species living above water in bamboo and papyrus reed beds. They are also
known locally as ‘bandro’; the bandro is culturally sacred to Madagascar’s
Sihanaka tribe. Oh, and surprisingly females are dominant over males and can be
quite aggressive!
Regarding the future of UK academia, there are concerns due to the uncertainty
about accessing to EU research funds and network of colleagues, but here at
Wolverhampton we are doing well and optimistic about the future!

Can you talk more about the non-invasive data collection methods you use (or perhaps which invasive methods you have avoided using)? What made you decide to restrict your methods in this way? I'm always curious about the potential trade-off between getting more data to potentially help the species vs causing distress or damage to individuals.

I chose to use non-invasive methods to collect my data (behavioural data, feacal samples, and ano-genital odour samples via positive reinforcement training) both to avoid distress the study subjects (safeguard animal health) and to not affect the results. I avoided to use blood to analyse hormone levels and to capture animals to collect odour samples. In most cases I think we can opt for non-invasive methods, it is logistically more difficult but a better ethical choice - I believe.

You mention reintroducing the species to the natural environment and how their habitat is restricted to a part of Madagascar - are there any other habitats that are similar in which they could potentially thrive?

It is not ideal to introduce a non-native species in a new environment. It could cause problems to native species both in terms of feeding resources and competition.

What's your favourite thing about gentle lemurs? :)

The fact that they kiss each other! They do it to understand if the other animal eat something that could be interesting, but anyway is lovely to see!

Hello Dr Fontani - Can you speak about lemur intelligence in relation to the other primates? I was always given the impression that the prosimians were thought of as "kind of dumb," in relation to monkeys, but I also think that could be wildly incorrect now thanks to research by people like you.

Primate cognition is not my field of study. However, it is true that lemurs have less developed cognitive skills than other primates, such as apes. On the other hand, lemurs use sensory modalities differently than other primates - for example, their olfaction is much more developed than those of apes or humans.

How many zoos/facilities around the world are working with this species? Since this species has such a specific environmental need, and their habitat is being destroyed for rice fields, where might reintroduction occur, if not in their native habitat?

Unfortunately, due to the difficulties in managing this species in captivity, they are not common in European zoos. In Europe there are around twenty facilities that host gentle lemurs. Yes, reintroduction can only occur in their native habitat, which then needs to be protected

Second to lemurs, what primate would you most like to work with?

Also, what are your thoughts on the use of primatology to better understand aspects of human psychology?

In addition to lemurs, I have also worked with cotton-top tamarins during my PhD work. I loved them!

Psychology is not my field of study, but clearly humans have much in common with other primates and so primatology can help us to improve our understanding of human psycology via comparative studies.

To what extent does your work ensure there is adequate habitat to return them to (ie do you ensure you don’t bread animals that will have to stay in captivity because there isn’t a habitat to release them into (that is t under threat, or has an existing population that could get displaced etc)? Also are there any restriction or protections to ensure they don’t end up in zoos, safari parks etc?

I work with lemurs in captivity and do not know whether these individuals
will be reintroduced in Madagascar (depending on feasibility in terms of
habitat protection, monitoring, safeguard etc -activities mainly coordinated by
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust – Jersey Zoo).
The international agreement between governments CITES (Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) aims to
ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does
not threaten the survival of the species. Most animals that can now be observed
in zoos are captive born and bred.

How do chemical signals affect breeding behavior? Are you mimicking something that the captive animals cannot do that they normally do in the wild?

Odour is linked directly to physiological condition and is therefore
expected to provide accurate information about sex hormone levels. Hence,
chemical signals will inform other group members about the reproductive status
of female lemurs.
I studied scent-marking and sexual behaviours in captive lemurs and I
collected vaginal odour samples over the breeding period, as I would have done
in the wild. I also analysed the odour compounds and resynthesized the female fertile
mixture in our lab at Wolverhampton. I am now using this mixture to trigger
male mating behaviour in lemur pairs which have been struggling with
reproduction across European zoos.
In captivity logistics and practicalities of the data collection are a lot
easier! Since captivity is a controlled environment (i.e. diet, enclosure, daily
routine) we recognize that our experimental set-up may provide a slightly different
outcome than would have been in the wild. However, our aim is to improve
captive breeding.

To trigger the mating behavior, do you just spray the scent on the female lemurs?

To trigger male mating behaviour I soack cotton strips with the chemical mixture and put the strips inside the enclosure, so the lemurs can smell the odour (but avoid it if they find it unpleasent).

Do you see any positive steps towards lemurs and the people of Madagascar living side by side? The poverty there must make the demand for land great. Are there ways for people to make a living while lemurs live in the same are? Or do lemurs need habitat that is has no human land use ?

Lemurs are under threat mainly from the illegal burning of their habitat by people for conversion to rice plantations.

75% of the population around Lac Alaotra rely on fishing and weaving products as their main source of income. A healthy marshland leads to healthy fish stocks and a
self-sustaining growth of vegetation, both directly benefitting the
local community and economy.

However, there are several projects led by the international network of zoos and NGOs focused on the protection of this endangered species of lemurs and their habitat.

I think that we are heading to the right direction, working on education programmes with local communities and supporting eco-tourisms (which is the primary way for people to make a living while lemurs inhabit the same area). Nevertheless, the situation is really bad and we must act immediately if we want to help people and save animals.

Do you visit the lemurs at Dudley zoo as part of your research?

No, unfortunately they don't host gentle lemurs

How much of the Gentle Lemur's habitat remain untouched?

Lake Alaotra and its surronding marshland is a rich habitat for wildlife, but also very much threatened wetland habitat due to its location in the middle of an important rice-growing region. We are currently unsure about the percentage of untouched habitat, but bear in mind that at national level it is estimated that almost 90% of forest is lost.

Are lemurs okay to have as pets? If so, what requirements do they need?

I don't want to own one, I'm genuinely curious.

No, lemurs are not suitable as pets. For example in Europe it is illegal.

I was surprised (pleasantly) to see the lemur exhibit when I visited Skansen in Stockholm.

They had numerous adorable lemurs in a large room that guests could walk through on a boardwalks and get quite close to the animals.

If one was stupid it would have been easy to touch them.

Have you been there? What do you think about that exhibit?

Sorry, I have never been in Skansen in Stockholm