Tanganyika Wildlife Park Blog

TIME: Are Lemurs Mom Enough? (spoof)

Tanganyika's ring tailed lemurs have recently had babies, but their methods in raising their young have sparked public outrage.  Lemur Island's mothers jump from rock to rock with their babies clinging tightly for life underneath, but that isn't the controversy that has people talking.

The lemur mothers breastfeed their young, ranging in age from new-born to two months old, in public. Some think that breastfeeding a two-month-old lemur in-public is irresponsible parenting and the offspring's self-esteem will suffer when other young lemurs poke fun, although science has yet to prove that breastfeeding older lemur babies is detrimental.  .

"They're really pushing the limits of decency here. It’s just wrong seeing a lemur so old breastfeeding right out in the open.  I mean, they don't even wear shirts!" an anonymous Park visitor said.

Another Park visitor thought otherwise. "I don't know, I mean people breastfeed their children in public; why is it so wrong for an animal to do it in public?  I do think they could wear shirts, but it seems kinda impractical?"

The lemur mothers are offended by the outrage. "I think we (I) should have the right to jump from trees and rocks with our young and we should be able to feed them wherever and whenever we want. Also, we're animals - why does everyone want us to wear shirts?" a spokeslemur for the Lactation Emancipation of Mammals Under Ridiculous Scrutiny (LEMURS) organization said.

According to an official statement from the Park, Tanganyika has been breeding the endangered ring-tail lemurs for over 20 years.  Every year they have several babies that grow up to contribute to the survival of their species. They support the lemurs’ decision to care for their young and have yet to receive any formal complaints.

In fact, the baby lemurs are often one of the biggest attractions at Tanganyika Wildlife Park, which features the only Lemur Feeding Island in the United States. The Lemur Island allows visitors to have the opportunity to experience these amazing animals up-close by feeding them a healthy snack.  As the babies get older, they take part as they start to adventure away from mom, curiously interacting with and entertaining visitors.

Tanganyika Wildlife Park isn’t only known for its Lemur experience.  It is actually the most interactive zoo in Kansas and offers a giraffe feeding experience, kangaroo walk-about, lorikeet feeding experience, a children’s zoo, and more.  In addition, Tanganyika is home to some of the rarest animals in the country including Diablo, the famous honey badger that has been featured with Jack Hanna on David Letterman and Good Morning America.

Tanganyika Wildlife Park is an organization dedicated to sharing their passion for animals by providing REAL experiences that are entertaining and educational in order to have a significant impact in the stewardship of selected species.  The Park has been operating since 1986 and first opened to the public August 2nd, 2008.  Tanganyika Wildlife Park is West of 183rd St W on Maple in Goddard, KS.  The Park’s hours are currently 9:00-5:00 daily.  For more information on the Park, please visit www.twpark.com.