Ruffed lemurs are found exclusively on the island of Madagascar, an island off the east coast of Africa. They are generally found in the upper canopy of the tropical rainforests located to the eastern side of the island.

The species is crepuscular, which simply means that they are most active at dawn and dusk. Their diet consists mainly of fruits, seeds, nectar, and plant matter, and the animal scent marks its territories and uses an elaborate system of alarm calls to alert other group members if predators are nearby.
Female red ruffed lemurs don’t carry their offspring like most other primates; instead, mothers give birth and leave their young in nests that are generally found between ten and 20 metres above ground level. However, infant mortality is high with about 65% of newborns not reaching three months.

The species is listed as being Critically Endangered after a significant decline in population in recent decades because of agriculture, logging, and mining activities across its habitat. In fact, over 90% of Madagascar’s original rainforest has disappeared in recent decades. It is estimated that there could be as few as 1,000 to 10,000 left in the wild, while the black and white lemur is the most endangered of the two ruffed lemurs.

The ruffed lemur feeds on nectar by sticking its long nose deep into the flower head. The lemur’s snout becomes coated with pollen in the process, which is then transported to other flowers—making the animal an important pollinator within its local habitat.

The park is home to three of the 16 species of lemur and two varieties of the ruffed lemur—the red and the black and white species.
The ruffed lemurs are maintained on separate islands alongside each other in the lake area as they are territorial animals. Fota has been actively involved in a series of projects aimed at preserving what remains of their natural habitat in Madagascar.