BANGKOK, 21 July 2015 – With open arms, Bangkok’s Dusit Zoo welcomes its newest members, a newborn douc langur and a ruffed lemur.
The female ruffed lemur, named Khapu, was born on May 2. It was the first ruffed lemur to be born at Dusit Zoo. Weighing between 3.3-3.8 kilograms when fully grown, the ruffed lemur is a species of primates which inhabits the tropical rain forests of Africa.
The female douc langur, born on May 9, has been named Fon (ฝน). The douc langur is a rare species that is close to extinction. Hailed by some conservationists as the most beautiful species of primate, the douc langur’s fur is of five colors. In the wild, the animal lives high up on trees in tropical rain forests as well as mixed deciduous forests in Indochina. Dusit Zoo is the most successful breeder of douc langur in Asia.
The World Conservation Congress (IUCN) has listed both species in its Red List of Threatened Species, meaning both animals are critically endangered. The animals are also listed in Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an appendix reserved for species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants.
Both species are being displayed at Dusit Zoo.
