Coquerel's Sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) Fact Sheet: Managed Care

Diet in managed care (from Haring 2012)

• Dietary staples
  • Folivore chow
  • Vegetables: carrot, sweet potato, onion, corn, green bean, cucumber, and broccoli
  • Legumes & nuts: garbanzo and other cooked beans, bean sprouts, and mixed nuts
  • Leafy greens: kale, collards, and cabbage
• Browse
  • Mimosa, winged sumac, sweetgum, redbud, black locust, American hornbeam, tulip poplar, and other trees
    • Young, tender new growth preferred

Reproduction in managed care (from D. Haring personal communication)

• Earliest age at first reproduction
  • 2.6 years, males and females
• Reproductive into old age
  • Oldest female to reproduce: 20.4 years
  • Oldest male to reproduce: 29.8 years
• Births occur seasonally
  • Conception typically occurs between July and September
    • 81% of conceptions
  • Births most often between December and March

History in managed care (from Haring 2012)

• Few housed in zoological facilities
• In North America
  • 1962: first Coquerel's sifaka, a female named "Charlotte", housed at Duke Lemur Center
  • 1970: 1st individuals born in managed care at Duke Lemur Center
  • 1985: marks the start of successful managed care breeding program developed by Duke Lemur Center
  • 1988: last import of wild individuals to an Associate of Zoo and Aquarium (AZA) institution

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (from Haring 2012)

• 1964: first Coquerel's sifaka
• 1965-1967: attempts at housing unsuccessful
  • None held after 1967

Animals in managed care have provided valuable informaiton on lemur behavior and reproduction.

Duke Lemur Center is a leader in studying the behavior of several lemur species including Coquerel's sifaka. The facility houses several free ranging groups of sifaka which inhabit a forested, outdoor enclosures.

Image credit: © D. Haring. All rights reserved.

Haring (2012)
Haring and Bryan (2014)