Poitiers, France

Contact introduction for White-fronted lemurs

Reducing animal isolation through cooperation between zoos

Project objective

As part of the "Animal Welfare Commitment" (EBEA) programme, we collaborated with the park's team to facilitate connections between various zoological institutions to organise animal transfers. The aim was, in particular, to find a new companion for a female lemur who had been alone for several years.

Description

Following the death of her partner, a female white-fronted lemur was left alone. Our team is trained in the use of ZIMS 360, a crucial tool for our work. Using this tool, we were able to select the animals who could be paired with this female.

Following this, the team took over to organise and carry out the transfer. In parallel, we conducted behavioural monitoring before and after the introduction to ensure the new partners were getting along well and to adjust if necessary the food distribution methods, enrichment provided, and so on.

Results

The cohabitation is going very well, with positive social interactions observed from the outset. Additionally, undesirable behaviours previously seen in the female when she was alone have disappeared, and numerous positive social behaviours have been noted. The new male is still acclimatising to this new environment, and the team has adjusted his enrichment programme to provide daily appropriate stimulation for both individuals.

Animal welfare commitment

Social group management is both a crucial element for lemurs and can present challenges for teams: interactions within the group or changes in group composition. Therefore, communication within zoological parks and the involvement of all stakeholders are essential to minimise situations that could negatively impact welfare. The organisation of this transfer is a fine example of a shared commitment to animal welfare, not only at the level of the institution but also across the population.