SAN FRANCISCO—On Friday, August 19 at 9:30 a.m. the San Francisco Zoo and Gardens will be hosting a celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new exhibit feature two new Coquerel’s sifikas, Karen and Nell, according to a press release. The celebration will also be introducing the crown jewel of the exhibit, a custom built 18 foot fony baobab tree.

Coquerel’s sifika is a species of lemur that is known for their unique method of movement including leaping and jumping great distances between trees and skipping slightly sideways on the ground. They were introduced to the mass public on the former PBS kids program, Zoboomafoo. Zoboomafoo, hosted by Martin and Chris Kratt teach children how to take care and respect animals with the help of their sifika lemur, Zoboomafoo.

The sifikas are an endangered animal found only on the island of Madagascar. Their name comes from a call the animal makes that sounds like “shi-FAHK.” The custom made fony baobob tree is a type of tree that is common in sifika habitats and its design is both for function and aesthetics.

Adjacent to the main space of the exhibit will be a “day room” that is visible to the public and gives the sifikas a second space in a controlled climate. The exhibit is an extension of the existing Lipman Family Lemur Forest. The forest is the largest lemur habitat in the country covering 1.5 acres of space. It is the home to 19 total lemurs from seven different species. The new exhibit was made possible from the generosity of longtime San Francisco Zoo supporters, Barry and Marie Lipman.

In attendance at the celebration will be the San Francisco Zoo President, Tanya Peterson; Recreation and Park General Manager, Phil Ginsburg; the Lipman Family and invited guests. The San Francisco Zoo is located at 1 Zoo Road. Guests are advised to arrive early prior to the event and to park in the main lot and meet at the front entrance for transportation to the exhibit.

For more information contact the San Francisco Zoo Media Contact, Rachel Eslick, at (559) 287-3990.