Zoo marks birthday of oldest lemur

Published on Thursday 16 July 2009 09:54

ZOOKEEPERS at a West Lothian zoo are celebrating the birthday of Stumpy, probably the oldest lemur in Europe.

Stumpy has turned 23, despite most lemurs only living until 20.

Staff at the Five Sisters Zoo near Polbeth believe he may be the oldest lemur, and credit his long years to an easygoing lifestyle.

Zookeeper Graeme Curran, 21, said: "Twenty-three is a really great age for a ring-tailed lemur, because in the wild they very rarely live past 20.

"They've got a much better chance in captivity because there's more medical treatment, no habitat loss and just a generally better quality of life.

"We believe that he could be one of the oldest lemurs in Europe, and may very well actually be the oldest."

The zoo has enjoyed a recent surge in visitors following a difficult winter period hit by poor weather and the recession.

However, a successful bout of fundraising saw visitor numbers soar, with February and March seeing almost four times as many visitors as the previous year.

Mr Curran added: "It's the beginning of the summer season, and we're expecting to be very busy with the school holidays starting as well."