San Francisco Zoo & Gardens opens second new exhibit in 2016

“Karen” and “Neil”

San Francisco Zoo & Gardens welcomed its newest residents, Coquerel’s sifakas, in a grand opening ceremony on Friday, August 19 at 9:30 am. The newly built exhibit is home to two sifakas, four-year-old “Karen” and three-year-old “Neil”. Sifaka is a species of lemur, distinguished by its unique methods of movement, including leaping and jumping great distances between trees and skipping slightly sideways on the ground.

“It’s always tremendously exciting to open a new exhibit and introduce new animals to our visitors,” said San Francisco Zoo & Gardens President Tanya M. Peterson. “The sifakas are playful, inquisitive and energetic. We hope people enjoy observing and connecting with them and become interested in their conservation story.”

Sifakas are an endangered animal found only on the island of Madagascar. They get their name from a call they give, which sounds like “shi-FAHK”. Unfortunately, population numbers for all lemurs, including sifakas, have been rapidly declining as the human population in Madagascar continues to grow, now topping 14 million. About 80% of forestland on the island has been destroyed, largely for economic regions such as logging and crop cultivation.

The exhibit features custom-built artificial Malagasy plants, including an 18-foot fony baobab tree. Local artist Yaël Bendavid worked directly with SF Zoo animal staff to ensure every detail, from branch angles to knothole placements, best suits the animals and is as functional as it is aesthetically appealing. Adjacent to the main space is a “day room” which is visible to the public and gives the animals a second space in a controlled climate.

The new exhibit is a figurative “extension” of the existing Lipman Family Lemur Forest, and was made possible by the generosity of longtime SF Zoo supporters Barry and Marie Lipman. At 1.5 acres, the forest is the largest lemur habitat in the country, with seven different species and 19 total lemurs. The addition of a large Coquerel’s sifaka exhibit gives the Zoo a Madagascar Biogeographic Zone, to highlight the environmental stresses facing this ecologically important part of the world.

Sifaka is one of two new exhibits opened at San Francisco Zoo in 2016. In June, it welcomed three Mexican gray wolf brothers into Wolf Canyon.

Attached photo of sifakas “Neil” and “Karen” sitting on an artificial ocotillo tree in the new sifaka exhibit. Photo credit Marianne Hale.

San Francisco Zoo & Gardens

Established in 1929, San Francisco Zoo & Gardens connects people to wildlife, inspires caring for nature and advances conservation action. An urban oasis, the Zoo & Gardens are home to more than 2,000 exotic, endangered and rescued animals representing more than 250 species as well as seven distinct gardens full of native and unusual plants. Located at the edge of the Pacific Ocean where the Great Highway meets Sloat Boulevard, the Zoo is open 365 days a year from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (summer hours) and is accessible by San Francisco MUNI "L" Taraval Line.