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Chester Zoo Will Open A New Madagascar Habitat Where You Can See Lemurs Up Close

Deborah Cicurel

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Chester Zoo Will Open A New Madagascar Habitat Where You Can See Lemurs Up Close

Featured Image Credit: Amy Reed/Unsplash

Attention, lovers of adorable animals: Chester Zoo is opening a new Madagascar habitat, complete with the zoo's first a walk-through primate experience.

The zoo's new area will open this weekend, and is billed as "bringing the world's most biodiverse island, its landscapes and conservation stories, to the UK".

Credit: Chester Zoo
Credit: Chester Zoo

The 6,000 square metre zone will feature Madagascar's top predator, the fossa, as well as Chester Zoo's first ever "walk-though" primate experience which is home to five critically endangered red ruffed lemurs and 12 endangered ring-tailed lemurs.

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Visitors will also get to meet Madagascar's top predator and largest carnivore, the fossa. Conservation breeding specialists at Chester Zoo have never cared for the vulnerable species before, with the new zone providing a chance for visitors and experts alike to learn about the rare animal firsthand.

Credit: Chester Zoo
Credit: Chester Zoo

The new area will not only give nature lovers the chance to walk among rare lemurs and fossa, but will also give visitors the chance to discover more about the zoo's conservation work.

One of the UK's most visited tourist attractions, Chester Zoo welcomes nearly two million visitors a year and is home to over 27,000 animals and more than 500 different species, many of which are endangered in the wild.

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According to the zoo, Madagascar has already lost up to 90 per cent of its forests, meaning that many species living in these environments are now on the brink of extinction.

Credit: Chester Zoo
Credit: Chester Zoo

A statement from the zoo reads: "Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island, home to a vast array of weird and wonderful wildlife that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet.

"Now, the African nation's unique landscapes and its conservation stories will be recreated in the UK as never before, in 6,000 square metres of specially designed new animal habitats."

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Chester Zoo's new Madagascan zone opens this weekend on Saturday, 30th March 2019.

Topics: Real

Deborah Cicurel
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