Lemur Conservation Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Lemur Conservation Foundation (LCF) is a small American non-profit organization that works closely with the Duke Lemur Center
, LCF Scientific Advisory Council (including Dr. Ian Tattersall
), the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
(AZA) Prosimian Taxon Advisory Group (TAG), and the Species Survival Plan
(SSP) coordinators. Its lemur reserve in Mayakka City, FL houses Ring-tailed Lemur
s, Red-fronted Brown Lemurs, White-headed Lemur
s, Eastern Lesser Bamboo Lemurs, Mongoose lemur
s, Red ruffed lemur
s, Common Brown Lemur
s and Sanford's Lemurs. Its goals include conservation (including captive breeding and reintroduction), research, and education.
. There are two forested 13 acres (52,609.2 m²)+ free-range enclosures and the remaining acres currently serve as a buffer zone for the reserve. Two buildings act as indoor/outdoor enclosures: the Reed and Barbara Toomey Lemur Pavilion and the Marilyn K. North Lemur Lodge. The Mianatra Center for Lemur Studies and the Anne & Walter Bladstrom Library are also located at this facility and serve as an on-site educational resource.
Research on lemur cognition and has been performed at the Myakka City Lemur Reserve and published in peer-reviewed academic journals. The studies showed that lemurs can understand basic arithmetic operations and will preferentially select tools based on their functional qualities (e.g., tool orientation, ease of use) instead of tools with nonfunctional features (e.g., color, texture), despite not being known to use tools in the wild.
Duke Lemur Center
The Duke Lemur Center is an sanctuary for rare and endangered prosimian primates, located at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. It is the largest sanctuary for prosimian primates in the world....
, LCF Scientific Advisory Council (including Dr. Ian Tattersall
Ian Tattersall
Ian Tattersall is a paleoanthropologist and a curator at the American Museum of Natural History. Tattersall received his PhD from Yale University in 1971. In addition to human evolution, he has worked extensively with lemurs. He is working with The Templeton Foundation.-Selected publications:* The...
), the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums was founded in 1924 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation.The AZA headquarters is located in Silver...
(AZA) Prosimian Taxon Advisory Group (TAG), and the Species Survival Plan
Species Survival Plan
The American Species Survival Plan or SSP program was developed in 1981 by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered in the wild....
(SSP) coordinators. Its lemur reserve in Mayakka City, FL houses Ring-tailed Lemur
Ring-tailed Lemur
The ring-tailed lemur is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families. It is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar...
s, Red-fronted Brown Lemurs, White-headed Lemur
White-headed Lemur
The white-headed lemur , also known as the white-headed brown lemur, white-fronted brown lemur, or white-fronted lemur, is a species of primate in the Lemuridae family. It is only found in north-eastern Madagascar...
s, Eastern Lesser Bamboo Lemurs, Mongoose lemur
Mongoose Lemur
The mongoose lemur is a lemur ranging from 12 to 18 inches long plus a tail of 16 to 25 inches. The mongoose lemur lives in dry deciduous forests on the island of Madagascar as well as in the humid forests on the islands of the Comoros...
s, Red ruffed lemur
Red Ruffed Lemur
The red ruffed lemur is one of two species in the genus Varecia, the ruffed lemurs; the other is the black-and-white ruffed lemur . Like all lemurs, it is native to Madagascar and occurs only in the rainforests of Masoala, in the northeast of the island...
s, Common Brown Lemur
Common Brown Lemur
The common brown lemur , or brown lemur, is a species of lemur in the Lemuridae family. It is found in Madagascar and Mayotte.-Range:...
s and Sanford's Lemurs. Its goals include conservation (including captive breeding and reintroduction), research, and education.
Mission
"The Lemur Conservation Foundation (LCF) is a small non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the primates of Madagascar through captive breeding, scientific research, education, and reintroduction."
Myakka City Lemur Reserve
The 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) Myakka City Lemur Reserve, which opened in 1999, is an AZA accredited facility that is located in Manatee County, FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. There are two forested 13 acres (52,609.2 m²)+ free-range enclosures and the remaining acres currently serve as a buffer zone for the reserve. Two buildings act as indoor/outdoor enclosures: the Reed and Barbara Toomey Lemur Pavilion and the Marilyn K. North Lemur Lodge. The Mianatra Center for Lemur Studies and the Anne & Walter Bladstrom Library are also located at this facility and serve as an on-site educational resource.
Tampolo Forest Reserve
The Lemur Conservation Foundation is partnered with the Tampolo Forest Station, a small reserve in the 1700 acres (6.9 km²) forest of Tampolo in Madagascar.Training and research opportunities
The facility is open to academic professionals and college-level students for behavioral and other non-surgical research. There are two six-month internships offered in animal husbandry and field methods.Research on lemur cognition and has been performed at the Myakka City Lemur Reserve and published in peer-reviewed academic journals. The studies showed that lemurs can understand basic arithmetic operations and will preferentially select tools based on their functional qualities (e.g., tool orientation, ease of use) instead of tools with nonfunctional features (e.g., color, texture), despite not being known to use tools in the wild.