Loro Parque yesterday inaugurated a new facility for ring-tailed lemurs, coinciding with the 49th anniversary of its creation.
The new space is located near the African setting of Lion’s Kingdom and features tall trees, horizontal logs to move and jump through, and rocks on the ground where they can rest and sunbathe.
The occasion also served to publicize the new educational presentation of dolphins called Imagine, which surprised attendees with its ability to entertain, while providing valuable knowledge about animals, their well-being and their situation in nature.
“Nature is a gift from God and for that we thank it. But we also do it with the people who, following their plan, take care of them and allow us to contemplate these animals that would otherwise be impossible, ”said the bishop of the Nivariense Diocese, Bernardo Álvarez, after blessing the facility.
The event, which was carried out in compliance with the health measures against COVID-19, also counted, among others, with the assistance of the mayor of Puerto de la Cruz, Marco González; the Councilor for Tourism Development, Carolina Rodríguez; the CEO of Tenerife Tourism, David Pérez, as well as the president and vice president of Loro Parque, Wolfgang Kiessling and Christoph Kiessling, respectively.
After a tour of the facilities, the Porto president highlighted the commitment of Loro Parque, which he defined as “a park with a conscience” to guarantee animal welfare, entertain and, at the same time, educate new generations.
However, he acknowledged that it was “a difficult time for the tourism sector, for the world and for Puerto de la Cruz, but we did it well several times and we will do it well again,” he promised. In this sense, he gave Loro Parque as an example “because when it reopened its doors, after the pandemic, it seemed that time had not passed. Let’s hope that this parenthesis is very brief and that we all assume our responsibility ”.
Wolfgang Kiessling recalled his beginnings, “an adventure that everyone said was not going to work. I did not have a penny of credit, the banks were closing their doors to me before I entered and it was a difficult moment that lasted three or four years. And if I am believing today it is because God has helped me in every situation ”, he confessed.
He also touched on current difficulties due to COVID-19. “With phase 3 we entered a very difficult moment and we don’t know how to react. We fear for the health of the workers and for not having enough staff to care for the animals. This is the biggest problem we face ”, he pointed out.
Regarding the new space for lemurs, he pointed out that it was “proof that something can be done with excellence. We are improving and looking for a way to make life more pleasant for animals ”.
The last to speak was the bishop, who highlighted “the enormous effort made by the company and its workers during the pandemic to feed and care not only for the animals, but also the gardens.”
