LEMUR alone! That was message from a giant sharp-shooting primate at Washford's Tropiquaria Zoo after hearing rumours that the attraction could face the bulldozers at any second.

The enormous ring-tailed lemur - better known as Adam Dyer in a large furry suit - took up arms to defend the zoo after being inundated by people saying how sorry they were to hear it would be demolished.

Mystified by news of the zoo's apparent untimely demise, Tropiquaria owner Chris Moiser set about tracking down the source of the whale of a tale and discovered it was all in a name.

"It's a real case of Chinese Whispers," Chris told the Free Press. "I nearly had a heart attack when I first heard the council was planning to knock us down."

But rather than Tropiquaria being on the receiving end of a demolition ball, people had apparently misheard reports about proposals to flatten Weston-super-Mare's derelict Tropicana building.

North Somerset Council is currently discussing plans to demolish Weston's former outdoor pool complex and Chris said, as far as he was aware, West Somerset Council had no plans in the pipeline to do the same to Tropiquaria.

"You couldn't make it up! We're very much still here and still open and we're not being knocked down," a bemused Chris said this week.

Photo: Steve Guscott