After a decline in health and concerns about his quality of life, the difficult decision was taken by the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary to put mongoose lemur McLovin to sleep on Tuesday (4th April).
McLovin was thought to be at least 40 years old – possibly the oldest ever recorded for the species. The mongoose lemur’s average lifespan is 25-30, with some individuals in human care reaching up to 35. At 40 years old, McLovin was a real record-breaker.
Records suggest that he was caught in the wild in Madagascar in 1983 and travelled around the world on a boat as a sailor’s pet. In 1988, he was purchased by Gdansk Zoo in Poland. Over the years that followed he was transferred to Poznan Zoo in Poland, then Bandholm Zoo in Denmark, then Paradise Wildlife Park in the UK.
McLovin made his final move to his forever home on the Isle of Wight in 2009 and lived at the Sanctuary for nearly 14 years. During his time at the Sanctuary, he lived amongst other lemurs, most notably his Brown Lemur companion Bella, and Mongoose Lemur Catherine.
In his last year, he even cohabited with a marmoset for mutual companionship.
The mongoose lemur’s primary carer, Kerry-Ann Trezise, has said:
“Out of all of the animals in the sanctuary, he is one of the most well-known and loved due to his endearing character and his incredible story. To know this little lemur has seen more of the world than most people ever will is amazing.
“He was rather particular about who he liked and who he would interact with and over the years became more selective. McLovin and I have had many long conversations over the years and if you have ever heard him, you will know his very special little noise he made when communicating.
Article continues below this advertisement “McLovin’s most favourite things were sunbathing in the window and eating banana”.
“The likelihood of going to Madagascar and seeing a mongoose lemur is very slim now due to high declining numbers. A lot of people will go through life now not ever seeing one, and they also have declining numbers in captivity now due to having such a limited gene pool.
“I know it will never be the same as seeing one in the wild but the fact that I have come to work for many years and shared my day with McLovin is something I will be forever grateful for.”
Animal manager, Marc Fox, said:
“McLovin was definitely an iconic sanctuary celebrity and a great little character and will be missed by many. What an amazing story he has.
“Many species of lemur are endangered due to deforestation in Madagascar, and then to add to that stories of baby lemurs being caught in the wild to be kept as pets is also very sad.
“McLovin was one of the lucky ones, who at least did end up in professional care where he would live in large naturalistic enclosures with a good diet and company with other lemurs.
“He was well loved here and part of that is making the right decision for him when the time comes, and not letting him suffer”.
Sleep peacefully till you fly among the trees with your friends again..❤️