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Young World
Bilbo at the zoo
Photo: AFP
BAMBOO LEMUR: In captivity.
One of only 25 bamboo lemurs in captivity, rejected by his mother at birth six weeks ago, has passed his first tricky stages of being reared by humans in a Stockholm zoo, says an AFP report. Handlers were not sure if Bilbo would accept the mixture of cat and baby milk they offered him, but zoo manager Jonas Wahlstrom says he is doing well. "The first days were very delicate, we didn't know if he would accept the food. We had to see if it was enough for him," he said. "Today, Bilbo is doing well," he said, adding: "He has a 99 per cent chance of survival." Bilbo is one of only three bamboo lemurs in captivity in Sweden — the other two being his parents — and only about 200 live in the wild in Madagascar, according to Wahlstrom. "This is a very rare animal, that's why we are working hard for him," he said. Adult bamboo lemurs, who exist mainly on a diet of bamboo, grow to between 700 grams and one kilo (1.5 to 2.2 pounds), and live for about 22 years. Now that his survival is assured, Stockholm zoo is trying to reintegrate Bilbo with his parents.
COMPLIED BY NIMI KURIAN
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