1.How old are the lemurs, sloths and saki monkeys at Fragile Forest? - These few questions keep getting asked by visitors.
Answer:
The sakis are Fidel (adult male) 5 yrs old, Sol (female) 3.5 yrs old and Fresco 8 mths old.
The sloths are Bosque (dominant male) 13 yrs old, Jan (other male) 6 yrs old, Alba (female) yrs old and baby is almost a year old
The R/T lemurs are Pooka (adult male) 6 yrs old, Flossie (female) 8 yrs old, Andro and Ravo both are males 1.5 yrs old
B/w ruffed lemur is Boey who is 25 yrs old coming April
2. Are stingrays native to rainforests?
Answer: Yes the stingrays are found in the Amazon Brazil
3. What are some of the enrichment given to the ring-tailed and white and black ruffed lemurs at FF?
Answer: We don’t give any enrichment to the lemurs when they are in the aviary as they are well occupied while in there but enrichments are done when they are confined. Usually the enrichments done are food-based like the puzzle box.
4. How come the lemurs, being so active etc, tend to stay only around the platform area? Don't they tend to move down towards the entrance area, huge log with snail/tarantula/rhino bettle, etc (from frog exhibit)?
Answer:
The lemurs do move all over the aviary especially the R/T lemurs. They usually hang around the observation deck (OD) area to anticipate food from keepers especially during feeding time for the bats at 9.55am, 11.30am, 2pm and 4 pm.
5. Has the sloth been ill before that you will need to pry it from the tree branch or transfer to somewhere else? How do you manage to 'lure' it towards a desired spot? Based on its anatomy, is it possible for a sloth to be carried around in a pet carrier?
Answer:
We usually restraint the sloth only for physical examination by the vet or when they have injury from fighting. Sloth like other animals will learn when and where their food is served. There is no problem in putting a sloth in a pet carrier as they can still cling to the side opening of the carrier or the meshing door.
(Related to self study)
6. More about monitor lizard and iguana
Source:
http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/verts/monitor_lizard.htm
http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/iguana.html
Answer
Iguanas live in tropical rainforest areas, generally in lower altitudes in areas near water sources, such as rivers or streams. They spend most of their time high in the forest canopy, about 40-50 feet above the ground. The green iguana is a reptile found throughout Central and South America.
Monitor lizard is commonly sighted in Singapore. Water Monitors are rarely found far from water. Both fresh and saltwater. They are particularly common in mangroves, banks of large rivers. Also found in grasslands, forests, swamps, beaches and even cultivated land.
Lastly, a synopsis of an article to think about...
Source: Maldives leader vows to make country carbon neutral on 14th March 2009
"Climate change isn’t a vague and abstract danger but a real threat to our
survival."
Mr Nasheed noted that "making the radical shift to carbon neutrality won’t be easy. But where there is a will, there is a way". He said: "People often tell me caring for the environment is too difficult, too expensive or too much bother. I admit installing solar panels and wind turbines doesn’t come cheap.
"But when I read those science reports from Copenhagen, I know there is only one choice. Going green might cost a lot but refusing to act now will cost us the Earth.
