In Safe Hands

A captivating image of a baby ring tailed lemur taken at Yorkshire Wildlife Park has been awarded a prestigious photography accolade.

In Safe Hands, which captures the lemur with its parents at Lemur Woods, was highly commended in the Capturing Hearts and Minds category of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (BIAZA) National Zoo & Aquarium Photo Awards 2019.

It was taken by nature photographer David Roberts who regularly chronicles the animals at the award-winning park.

“It is a beautiful image that perfectly captures the baby lemur’s inquisitive nature as it peers around and grasps onto its parents,” says Matt Hartley, Head of Animals of the park at Branton, near Doncaster.

“These are the wonderful, natural moments that happen every day at the park and David has done brilliantly to capture this heart-warming photograph.”

Lemur Woods, a walk-through reserve at the park, is the home to a 15-strong ring-tailed lemurs, a species that is under threat of extinction.

Hundreds of entries were submitted for the annual competition, sponsored by Wildlife Vets International, which welcomes submissions from staff, members or volunteers of BIAZA zoos and aquariums to highlight the amazing animals and conservation work being carried in the zoo and aquarium community.