Notable Births

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31047, 30 April 1966, Page 5

Notable Births

TWO recent rare births in Bushbaby Hall in the Children’s Zoo, Regent’s Park, London, have been a red-and-white flying squirrel—believed to be the first of this species ever born in captivity —and a slow loris, the first to be born at the London Zoo, and a species which rarely breeds in captivity. Bushbaby Hall, which was opened in 1964, is specially adapted for nocturnal mammals. During the day, when they would normally be asleep, the lighting is dimmed to simulate moonlight, and at night when the zoo is closed, the lighting is brightened so that the animals go to sleep. This arrangement of reversing the rhythms of nocturnal animals has proved most successful and is particularly reflected in these two uncommon births. The red-and-white flying squirrel measures 3ft from head to tail. Like other flying squirrels, it has evolved a gliding membrane running along each side of the body

between the fore and hind limbs, which acts as a kind of parachute and enables the animal to take huge leaps from branch to branch when fleeing from its enemies. The slow loris is also a nocturnal creature, has large brown eyes and is clad in soft grey-brown fur, it is related to the bushbaby. It is about 14in long and moves slowly and deliberately through the tops of the forest trees with a hand-over-hand movement. Its name is derived from the Dutch word loeris, meaning down, due to its wide-open eyes and distinctive face markings producing a quizzical expression, and the fact that its spine undulates slightly from side to aide when walking. It feeds on leaves, fruit, insects and any small animals that it can capture, stalking them silently through the branches and seizing them with a sudden grab.