“This is the result of a successful breeding program,” the head of social, branding and communication, Jakarta Aquarium and Safari, Fira Basuki, said during a media visit on Monday.

Despite being considered a primate, lemurs evolved differently from apes into their own superfamily Lemuroidea. Lemurs are important to the environment, as they are the biggest animal that helps pollination in nature, compared with other animals that help pollination such as bees and birds.

Sadly, lemurs are included in the critically endangered list. All of the 100 species are threatened with extinction. Madagascar, where the lemurs are naturally found, has extensive illegal logging and land use change from jungle to industrial farmland. Lemur meat is also still considered a local delicacy and lemur hunting is still a rampant activity despite measures applied to protect them.

At Jakarta Aquarium, the lemurs’ diet is confined to fruit such as watermelon, apples, pears and bananas. Lucky visitors can witness the feeding process in the morning, noon or in the afternoon.

Besides the lemurs, Jakarta Aquarium has a collection of 3,500 aquatic and nonaquatic animals including manta rays, sharks, turtles, snakes, insects and many kinds of colorful coral fish. Visitors also can watch otter feeding, the binturong show and penguin parade, as well as engaging in interactive activities with the animals such as feeding manta rays and taking pictures with a python. Jakarta Aquarium also has a theatrical show, which includes three mermaid dances.

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