One of my zoo keeper friends was one of the fortunate few that got to join the researchers in Madagascar to assist in tracking the Carolina Five. I treasure the stories she shared with me about following the group through the thick forest. One of the lemurs, unfortunately, remained in a captive mind set at first and tended to prefer the ground. It is very dangerous for this species of lemur to spend extended periods of time on the ground in the wild, so she described continuously pushing his fuzzy rump up the tree trunks until he started to recognize the yummy fruit he could find higher in the trees.
Her job was to watch the lemurs’ every move and her description of trying to keep her eye on these agile creatures high in the forest canopy travelling at brake neck speeds while struggling to navigate the forest floor riddled with trip vines was priceless. When they rested in a tree she was instructed to document what they were doing, the angle of the tree branch, and collect any feces deposits. This sounds a lot easier then it was. She was often quite a distance behind the lemurs and by the time she staggered huffing and puffing to the point of “rest” the lemurs would leap off on their merry way once again.
She said the front of her shirt would fill with bugs of all shapes, sizes and colors during her mad dashes to keep up with the lemurs and described trying to dump these out in mid run. She often lost track of the group after a face plant or two and would then have to follow their calls to relocate them.
Through it all it was, of course, a highlight of her life to document captive lemurs living in the wild. This project was the first example of reintroduction I remember hearing about and was definitely one of the stories that inspired me to get into this wonderful career.
Dr. Jonah Ratsimbazafy worked with this project early in his career. He actually earned his PhD from Stony Brook University in 2002 for his study of Black and White Ruffed Lemurs. CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets to hear about Jonah’s work saving lemurs and other species in Madagascar on February 15th at 7:00 pm. Be one of the first to hear all about his recent discovery of a brand-new lemur species! Enjoy beverages and tasty appetizers from Houston’s own Beaver’s restaurant and meet some of the Houston Zoo’s animals from Madagascar up-close.
If you are interested in journeying to this amazing land join the Houston zoo on our trip to Madagascar in 2013. For more information CLICK HERE.
If you are interested in the previous post of this story CLICK HERE or scroll down.

Ruffed lemurs are definitely one of my favorite species of lemur! They are terrible to clean up after, and horribly loud, but delightful characters. When I was a zoo keeper, I worked closely with the oldest Red-ruffed lemur in captivity at the time. I had to do some training with him once and the only reward he would consistently work for was his own reflection in a mirror. The fact that he appeared to adore himself made him even more adorable to me! 




















