- ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF ANY TRIP TO THE TRIANGLE
IS A LITTLE BIT OFF THE BEATEN PATH.
IN FACT, YOU MIGHT THINK YOU ARE IN MADAGASCAR.
LET'S TAKE A VISIT TO THE DUKE LEMUR CENTER TO FIND
OUT MORE.
>> THERE ARE MORE THAN 70 SPECIES OF LEMUR IN MADAGASCAR.
MOST ALL OF THEM THREATENED OR ENDANGERED
BECAUSE OF DEFORESTATION.
MORE THAN 90% OF THE COUNTRY'S FORESTS THERE
HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED SINCE HUMANS SETTLES LESS THAN
2,000 YEARS AGO.
THAT MAKES THE DUKE LEMUR CENTER A CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT SANCTUARY FOR THESE LITTLE RASCALS, AS
WELL AS A REALLY FUN PLACE TO VISIT.
>> AND WE WELCOME APPROXIMATELY 13,000
GUESTS ANNUALLY, WE SURE LOVE TO SEE THAT NUMBER
INCREASE AS WE CAN SHARE WITH OUR GUESTS THAT COME
THROUGH THE DIVERSITY OF LEMURS AND WHAT MAKES THEM
SO INCREDIBLE.
>> MORE THAN 20 DIFFERENT SPECIES AND OVER 240
ANIMALS TOTAL ARE LIVING AT THE CENTER.
NON-INVASIVE RESEARCH, OBSERVATION, GOES ON HERE.
THE CENTER ALSO HAS A TEAM THAT GOES TO MADAGASCAR TO
HELP UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES AND T FIND SOLUTIONS TO
SECURING A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE ANIMALS IN THEIR
NATIVE HABITAT.
AS FOR THE LEMURS WHO LIVE HERE, THEY HAVE IT MADE.
>> OUR DIRECTOR, DR. ANNE YODER, HAS A QUOTE THAT I
ALWAYS UTILIZE, AND SHE ALWAYS SAYS, IF I WERE A
LEMUR I WOULD WANT TO LIVE HERE.
AND I THINK THAT RESONATES WITH ME, BECAUSE ANIMALS
HERE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT PREDATORS, THEY GET
THE PERFECT NUTRITION, THEY HAVE EXPERTS THAT
CARE FOR THEM AROUND THE CLOCK.
AND IT REALLY IS AN AWESOME PLACE FOR ANIMALS
TO LIVE AND TO BE ABLE TO FREE RANGE THROUGHOUT THE
FOREST.
>> SEVERAL LEMURS HAVE EARNED THE PRIVILEGE OF
ROAMING FREE WITHIN A LARGE ENCLOSED SECTION OF
THE FOREST.
THE CHOSEN FEW WELCOME US TO START THEIR DAY.
THEY FOLLOW US THROUGH THEIR ENCLOSURE, KNOWING
IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR RECESS, NOT TO MENTION
BREAKFAST.
IF THEY OBEDIENTLY COME BACK TO THE DORMITORY WHEN
CALLED AT DAY'S END, THEY'LL GET TO DO THIS
AGAIN TOMORROW.
THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT VISITOR
EXPERIENCES AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
THIS ONE IS CALLED "WALKING WITH LEMURS.
" TO PRESERVE THE NATURAL EXPERIENCE FOR THE ANIMALS
AND FOR THEIR SAFETY AS WELL AS OUR OWN, WE ARE
NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH THEM, BUT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO
TOUCH US.
AND THEY WILL BEFORE THE VISIT IS COMPLETE.
IT'S ROUTINE FOR THE LEMURS TO BRUSH AGAINST A
HUMAN LEG OR SWEEP A TAIL ACROSS A SHOULDER AS THEY
ARE HOPPING OVERHEAD.
IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE THEY'LL TRY TO TAKE AWAY YOUR JOB.
>> TALK ABOUT CLOSE PROXIMITY, AND I ALWAYS
FEEL WHEN YOU COME INTO AN ENCLOSURE WITH THEM,
THERE'S NO BARRIERS BETWEEN YOU ANTHEM, YOU
CAN SEE FEATURES OF THE ANIMALS THAT GET LOST ON
THE GENERAL TOUR, AND TO ME, I ALWAYS APPRECIATE
JUST THE DIVERSITY AND THE DIFFERENCES OF THE
INDIVIDUAL ANIMALS.
SO, WE ENCOURAGE PHOTOGRAPHY AS WELL.
SO WE ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE IF YOU COME TO THE CENTER,
BRING A CAMERA.
>> THE DUKE LEMUR CENTER ALSO OFFERS THE LEMURS
LIVE TOUR, MORE BASIC, AND THE KEEPER FOR A DAY TOUR,
WHICH IS MORE ELABORATE.
IN FACT, IT'S PROBABLY TOO MUCH FOR SOME LEMUR LOVERS.
A KEEPER FOR A DAY GETS TO LEARN UP CLOSE AND
PERSONAL WHAT IT TAKES TO CARE FOR THESE ANIMALS.
>> IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB, BUT IT'S THE COOLEST JOB
ON THE PLANET.
IT REALLY IS.
I'M ALMOST THE MOST POPULAR PERSON IN THE ROOM
WITH PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT BUSINESS WHEN LEMURS COME
UP OR ANIMAL CARE, IT'S ALWAYS THE NEATEST THING
TO DO.
I WOULDN'T CHANGE IT FOR THE WORLD.
WE GET TO INTERACT WITH SPECIES LIKE THIS EVERY
SINGLE DAY.
YOU WOULDN'T SEE SOME OF THESE ANIMALS OTHER THAN
HERE UNLESS YOU GO TO MADAGASCAR, AND YOU BETTER
BE QUICK ABOUT IT BECAUSE THINGS ARE LOOKING DYER.
SO WE HAVE THE RARE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME PART
OF THEIR FAMILY ON THE SOCIAL GROUP ON OCCASION
TO BE CARETAKERS OF ANIMALS THAT YOU WOULD
NEVER NORMALLY SEE.
>> TOUR EXPERIENCES VARY FROM SEASON TO SEASON,
DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER.
LEMUR LIKE IT INDOORS WHEN WINTER COMES, BUT THE
CENTER IS OPEN YEAR AROUND.
SITUATED ON 85 ACRES IN THE HEART OF DUKE FOREST,
THE DUKE LEMUR CENTER IS THE LARGEST SANCTUARY FOR
THESE ANIMALS IN THE WORLD.
I'M RICK SULLIVAN, FOR "NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND."
>> DUKE LEMUR CENTER IS AT 3705 ERWIN ROAD IN
DURHAM, AND THEY OFFER THREE DIFFERENT KINDS OF TOURS.
GENERAL, PREMIER, AND FIELD TRIPS.
YOUR BEST BET IS TO GO TO THE WEBSITE AT LEMUR.DUKE.EDU
FOR ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED.