Dudley Zoo is at the centre of an international conservation battle to save black lemurs (Eulemur macaco macaco) from extinction.
The European Endangered Species Programme annual studbook, which controls and guides the breeding programme for the threatened small primates, is collated annually by senior curator Derek Grove.
Collections which currently hold black lemurs – including Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Holland, Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Tunisia, and the UK – use the studbook as their breeding bible.
Derek’s heavily-researched document is used by 50 collections, which between them have around 150 black lemurs in the territory controlled by EEP.
Derek said: “The studbook is a management tool updated every 12 months to help maintain a genetically healthy and demographically balanced population of threatened species in zoos and other collections, via breeding programmes for the purpose of exhibition, education, research, and as insurance to populations in the wild.” Lemurs can live up to 30 years in captivity, and on average they make between one and two moves throughout their lives.
Derek added: “I study details supplied by collections about moving surplus animals, or receiving new ones, and use the information to make recommendations as to which animals should breed or be exchanged.
“The studbook allows us to analyse the population and work out which animals can be moved to set up breeding pairs.
An expanded version of the studbook is published every three years to provide additional demographic information.
* Redundant Christmas trees from Santa’s grotto are providing enrichment activities for many of the zoo’s collection. Keepers are recycling leftover festive firs in the lion, tiger, snow leopard and bear enclosures.
Ungulate keeper Laura Robbins said: “The big cats love playing with the trees and drag them around the floor, while Inca the bear is moving hers and using it as a windbreak to protect herself from the elements while she is snoozing.”
Trees have also been planted in some of the enclosures, where they will continue to flourish over the next few months to provide natural decoration and extra greenery.