A beloved member of the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary family who is thought to be a record-breaker has sadly passed away.
'McLovin' — a Mongoose Lemur — was thought to be at least 40 years old, which could well be the oldest ever recorded for the species.
Following a decline in health, concerns about his quality of life, and careful consideration between the animal team and the vet the difficult decision was taken.
A Mongoose Lemurs' average lifespan is 25-30 years, with some in human care reaching 35 at a push, so at 40 years old McLovin exceeded all expectations during a quite amazing life.
Records suggest 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 and transferred to Poznan Zoo in the same country, before subsequent jaunts took him to Bandholm Zoo in Denmark, Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire and his forever home on the Isle of Wight in 2009.
McLovin lived among other lemurs at the Sanctuary for nearly 14 years, most notably his Brown Lemur companion Bella, and Mongoose Lemur Catherine.
In his last year he even cohabited with a marmoset for mutual companionship!
McLovin was named after a character played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse (right) in the film 'Superbad'
His primary carer, Kerry-Ann Trezise, 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 incredible story.
"To know this little lemur has seen more of the world than most people ever will is amazing.
"Anyone who knows me and has visited the sanctuary over the past 14 years will know he was absolutely my favourite animal and that we had a special and unique bond.
"The fact 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, added:
“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.
"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.”
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