This week we’ve been microchipping our baby lemurs.

Pet owners will be familiar with microchipping but it might come as a surprise to some that animals in zoos are chipped in the same way!

All animals here on site at Safari Zoo are microchipped – this happens either prior to them arriving or if they are born on site they will be chipped here by our veterinary teams.

The scan numbers are recorded on a global online system called Zims. Zims gives full details of the animal including their medical history, parental lineage and any characteristics or behavioural notes.

The microchip number acts as an identifier – whilst our keepers can identify the animals by sight this is sometimes more tricky for the veterinary teams who see them less frequently.

For example, a lemur may be on a course of antibiotics – a quick scan with our scanner ensures the right lemur receives the right medication.

Lemur keeper Laura Beth helped with the microchipping.

Laura has always had an interest in wildlife; visiting reserves in South Africa with her college and publishing a paper on the prey preferences of jackals.

She started volunteering at the zoo when she was 17 and she completed her final university research project on aggression in ringtails.

Three years ago Laura secured a full-time job as a keeper in the lemur and primate sections which also includes the tapir, maned wolves, capybara and red squirrels.

In Laura’s own words the best bit about the job is “getting to know the animal’s characteristics and working in a very close team – it’s like having another family”.

Laura says ringtail Bluebelle is known as the baby thief; last year Bluebelle carried around three babies and visitors thought she was mum to triplets but only one of the babies was actually hers! This year Bluebelle has had twins of her own and is clearly more content.