Lac Alaotra gentle lemur, Bandro

Scientific name: Hapalemur griseus alaotrensis

Country: Madagascar

Continent: Africa

Diet: leaves - folivore, papyrus grass, reeds. In Bristol Zoo Gardens, they are given carrot, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, celery, leeks and bamboo or willow every day. They have special primate pellet supplements to ensure they receive all the necessary nutrients and vitamins.

Food & feeding: Herbivore

Habitats: Tropical grassland

Conservation status: Critically endangered

Relatives: Ring-tailed lemur, Mongoose lemur, Aye-aye, Indri

Description: Small, with rounded features, short ears and muzzle, these lemurs are covered in a dense woolly coat. The fur is a dark grey-brown above, with paler grey below. Males weigh around 1.35 kg and females 1.55 kg. Their bodies are 40 cm, with a tail of approximately the same length

Lifestyle: These lemurs live in the dense swamps of papyrus and reeds that line the shores of Lake Alaotra. They depend on the papyrus plants for almost everything, including food and shelter. To move from stem to stem, they climb up the stem using all four legs and as it begins to bend under their weight they deftly walk along it to reach the next stem. The long tail may help with balance. In this manner, they can bridge narrow water channels in the swamps. Because their food in the wild is not very nutritious, they must spend much of the day eating. Males and females weigh roughly 1.4 kilos and are about 40 cm long, with a tail of about the same length.

Family & friends: These lemurs live in small groups containing one adult female and an adult male and their offspring Some groups have two breeding females - these bigger families are more successful at raising young. Within families, grooming each other is important: hands are used to part the fur and front teeth are used to comb out fleas and parasites.

Keeping in touch: Like other lemurs, they use a mixture of call and scent marking to keep in touch with neighbours.

Growing up: Females have one (sometimes two) young after a pregnancy period of 5 months. The young are carried in the mouth and are 'parked' in dense grass for short periods of time. The mothers can swim with their young clinging onto them if they need to. After 4 months, the infants are weaned and reach sexual maturity at two years of age.

Conservation news: The Lac Alaotra Gentle Lemur is one of the most endangered species of lemur in Madagascar. There are perhaps 9,000 of these animals in the wild - but they are found ONLY in the rapidly disappearing papyrus marshes that fringe Lake Alaotra. The marshes are burned and drained by fishermen and farmers. There are now only 13,000 ha of marsh left. On 2nd February 2003, the swamps were declared a RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance. Research by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has demonstrated the benefits of maintaining the swamps for local fishermen and farmers - as well as for lemurs. It is hoped that the future of the marshes is now more secure. In the mean time, zoos are successfully breeding this species to ensure that a captive population is maintained. Bristol Zoo is part of the conservation-breeding programme managed by Jersey Zoo.

The Lake Alaotra Gentle Lemur is the only primate in the world that lives exclusively in reed beds and swamps - and it only lives by the shores of one lake - Lake Alaotra in Madagascar.