The Toledo Zoos two newest, tiny and endangered primates have wide red eyes and long

striped tails. But they are not monkeys, though most of the public seems to think so. The pair of ring-tailed lemurs, which were donated by the Duke Lemur Center, appeared before the public at the Toledo Zoo for the first time yesterday. The two sisters named Fanta and Fresca are the zoos first lemurs in at least 20 years, and zoo officials hope that the new mammalspopular with children most recently through the Madagascar movie series by DreamWorkswill breed up to five more lemurs by next summer. Not only will they be interesting to the public, but they have an important conservation value as well, said the zoos spokesman Andi Norman. Lemurs originate from Madagascar, but the mammals are increasingly threatened by deforestation and hunting. The two new primates are still getting used to their surroundings, but have spent their time in their new section of the zoos Primate Forest sunbathing, walking around on their hind legs, and eating yams out of pinecones that zoo trainers have strategically placed for them. Primate intern Hailey Schurr said that lemurs are notoriously difficult to keep busy, and so zookeepers must make their food as difficult to find as possible, to mimic conditions in the wild. Theyre incredibly curious and theyre really cute, so that doesnt hurt, Ms. Schurr said. Visitors also seemed excited by the new exhibit. Theyre adorable, said zoo visitor Lisa Heinaman, of Port Clinton. They remind me of humans the most. Though the ring-tailed lemurs are classified as primates (and the smallest primates in the zoos Primate Forest), they are less evolved and different from monkeys. But Ms. Schurr said the public often seems confused about whether the new creatures are raccoons, monkeys or cats. Primate zookeeper Kate Clifton said that zoo officials used to tell the public to remember if they saw a tail, it was a monkeybut now lemurs are a potentially confusing exception. She added that the Madagascar series was an important influence on the animals popularity, since she heard children correct their own parents when they refer to them as monkeys. We got a wide spectrum [of primates] here now, Ms. Clifton said. We were excited because the Toledo public hasnt gotten to see them. Ms. Clifton said that zookeepers will train the lemurs to feel comfortable during medical checkups in the coming months, but otherwise will be free to explore their surroundings. Ms. Norman said that as lemurs have become more rare, zoos such as the Toledo Zoo will likely play a crucial role in ensuring species diversity. Zoos as a whole are conservation organizations, whether its [through] breeding or going out in the field, Ms. Norman said. Seeing animals in person leads to an appreciation of the species.