Madagascar mongoose joins Jersey Zoo
Friday 7 August 2026
Jersey Zoo has welcomed yet another set of arrivals to its site this summer, this time in the form of two ring-tailed vontsira called Agnes and Vonathan.
The species is native to Madagascar, where they are known for their striking reddish-brown fur and ringed tail. Vontsira are excellent hunters, with sharp claws, a strong jaw and an acute sense of smell, which helps them capture prey such as small mammals, lizards, frogs and eggs.
Agnes is a twelve-year old female that has arrived from Zie Zoo in the Netherlands. She is very motivated by food and loves eating a huge variety of snacks, but crickets are one of her firm favourites. She is joined by Vonathan a four-year old male from Cerza Zoo in France. He is shyer than Agnes but is growing in confidence day by day and can often be seen exploring his enclosure or playing with enrichment left for him by the keepers.
Over the past month or so, they have been living behind the scenes at the zoo, where they were slowly introduced to one another. They are currently the only pair of ring-tailed vontsira to be held in a UK zoo, so it is hoped they will go on to breed.
Speaking about this new arrival, Sam Poole, Senior Keeper at Jersey Zoo commented: “We’re incredibly excited to welcome such a rare and charismatic species to Jersey Zoo. Having these beautiful Malagasy carnivores is a great way to honour Durrell's longstanding history of working in Madagascar, where our team work tirelessly to protect some of the country’s most endangered wildlife. This species is unlike anything else currently at the zoo and we can’t wait for people to come and see them.”
The species is currently listed by the IUCN as Least Concern, largely due to their relatively broad distribution across Madagascar. However, vontsira face ongoing threats, including deforestation, agricultural expansion, logging and mining, which reduce and fragment the forest habitats where they live.
Since 1986, Durrell has been working with communities and other conservation organisations across Madagascar. Our community-based programmes are working to restore, revive and reconnect forest habitats and protect Madagascar’s biodiversity.
Agnes and Vonathan can be found at Kirindy Forest, next to the greater bamboo lemurs.