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As part of its efforts to build specific geographic zones for its inhabitants, the Johannesburg Zoo now has an island style home for its lemurs, hissing cockroaches and other animals from Madagascar.
The chief executive officer of the zoo, Steven van der Spuy with member of mayoral committee for environment, Prema Naidoo and the Madagascan ambassador to South Africa, Denis Andriamandroso
MADAGASCAR, the fourth largest island in the world, has made itself right at home at the Johannesburg Zoo.
Instead of catching a flight or hopping on to a boat and heading across the Indian Ocean to the paradise island to check out its biological diversity and unique flora and fauna, you can visit the zoo. Its new Madagascar enclosures house animals that are endemic to the island, and are filled with its natural foliage.
The eye-catching enclosures have heated night rooms, ropes and hammocks, and are painted a nice shiny black. They were officially opened on Wednesday, 25 June, in Jozi's nighttime chill and in the company of the member of the mayoral committee for environment, Prema Naidoo; the chief executive officer of the zoo, Steven van der Spuy; the Madagascan ambassador to South Africa, Denis Andriamandroso; and curators and zookeepers.
The newly renovated enclosures were initially designed for, and used to be inhabited by brown bears and Asiatic black bears. Van der Spuy said that the bears had been relocated as part of the new geographic zoning of the entire zoo. "The area is part of the Spice Route that accommodates animals from many eastern countries," he noted.
They are now the home of four primate species, comprising the lar gibbon, or white-handed gibbon; the red-bellied lemur; the mongoose lemur; and the black and white ruffed lemur. Madagascan hissing cockroaches and reptiles are also housed here.
"Through such inventions and exhibitions we hope to have more visitors to the zoo, so that we will be able to educate them more about biodiversity," Van der Spuy noted.
The new Madagascar enclosures house animals that are endemic to the island, and are filled with its natural foliage
The Madagascan enclosures are encircled by plants, mostly palms, ornamental grasses and philodendrons, as well as shrubs from the Madagascan tropical rainforests. "These kinds of plants create a jungle look which was requested by the curator," Van der Spuy said. "We have used the plants to accommodate the animals we have in the enclosure, because their natural habitat is a tropical forest ... This facility is really fantastic."
Out of the 200 000 known species that are found on Madagascar, at least 100 000 are endemic. The island is inhibited by at least 50 types of lemurs and frogs, and 36 types of birds. It is most well known for its lemurs; a lemur is a primate that looks like a cross between a cat, a squirrel and a dog.
Andriamandroso said lemurs were unique to Madagascar, in that they represented a variety of interesting behaviours, from singing like whales to sashaying across the sand like dancers.
Madagascar is an isolated island and has some of the highest biodiversity in the world. It is located off the southern coast of Africa, in the Indian Ocean, and is home to a number of interesting endemic species, some of which can be found at the Johannesburg Zoo.
"Here at the zoo we acknowledge that the environment is spacious and friendly," Van der Spuy said. He hoped that the recent developments would be inviting to people and would encourage them to visit the zoo.
The Johannesburg Zoo is open daily from 8.30am until 5.30pm. Adults pay R38 to enter the zoo; schoolchildren and pensioners pay R22 each; school and welfare groups fork out R16 per group. It is in Jan Smuts Avenue, Forest Town, with the main entrance in Upper Park Drive.
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