Good News for a Change! Lemurs now in new home. Help still needed!

2010-12-07

Zoocheck Canada

A few weeks ago Zoocheck brought attention to the plight of two lemurs languishing in a small cage in a BC pet store. Well, we're happy to report that a Zoocheck representative picked up the lemurs and they are now in their new home in Ontario.

It was touch and go for a while because severe weather delayed the pick up and transport of the lemurs from the BC pet store to the Calgary airport prior to their flight to Ontario.

Can you imagine being a lemur stuck in a cage in a pet store for years. Not very much room, not much to do, not much of a life. That's what was facing the two just a short while ago.

Then the municipality where the pet store is located passed a bylaw prohibiting the sale of exotic animals, so the pet store owner couldn't sell the lemur pair. When approached he agreed to give the lemurs to a sanctuary.

That's when Zoocheck stepped in and agreed to cover the costs of moving the two lemurs to a sanctuary in Ontario, but we needed help to make that happen.

As a small organization already stretched to the limit trying to help Lucy the Edmonton elephant, polar bears in Manitoba and zoo animals in Ontario, we reached out to friends and colleagues to ask for assistance in covering the costs of moving the two lemurs to a different life in Ontario. The response was heartwarming, to say the least.

The two lemurs, named Buddy and Ramelle, are now settling into their new quarters, but it may be a while before they're entirely comfortable. At times Buddy wraps himself in a blanket for comfort, while Ramelle clutches his little stuffed lemur toy. It's all very different after spending years in a tiny cage.

Sadly, Buddy has also been pacing back and forth in a two foot square area, probably the result of being confined for so long in such a small space. But as time goes by, his pacing will decrease and Buddy will become more engaged in other kinds of movements and behaviours. Eventually the pacing may not occur at all.

The costs to help Buddy and Ramelle were a bit higher than expected and Zoocheck also decided to cover the cost of a veterinary examination when they arrived.

It was the generosity of people like you that allowed Zoocheck to help Buddy and Ramelle but the project is not quite over yet. You may have heard that charity revenues everywhere are way down, including at Zoocheck, so a little bit of additional help is needed to cover the costs of this initiative.

For anyone who has already made a contribution, you have Zoocheck's deepest gratitude. If you haven't and would like to help now (or if you would like to make a second contribution), please CLICK HERE and make whatever level of contribution you want (no amount is too small) or call the Zoocheck office (416-285-1744) to make a donation by phone.

It's great to send you some good news for a change. Thank you for helping to make it happen.