Posted May 19, 2020 in New Arrivals
Endangered lemur baby born!
Colchester Zoo has welcomed many adorable lemur babies over the years, but we are excited to share that this year we have also welcomed our first ever Crowned lemur baby!
Born to mum Triksie and dad Ala, this is their first offspring after we introduced this species to Colchester Zoo’s collection for the first time in 2018.
Mum Triksie arrived in July 2018 from Twycross Zoo, as the female she is the more dominant of the two but she is also very inquisitive and playful. Triksie was joined later that same month by our male, Ala, from Howlett’s Wildlife Park. Ala is the more relaxed of the pair and tends to let Triksie get her way! The pair have been together ever since, it seemed to be love at first site, with Ala being very patient through their relationship – even when Triksie is swinging from his tail!
As a first time mum, Triksie appeared a little nervous at first but she has quickly grown more confident in her new role with the little one happily clinging tightly to her.
Crowned lemurs come from the Northern tip of Madagascar and live on a diet of fruit and leaves. Mum Triksie would have gone through a gestation period of about 125 days with the Animal Care Team keeping a close eye on her weight during this time. It will be a while before the gender of the baby is known but as soon as it is identified the keepers will be naming the little one. Until then the keepers will be monitoring the baby’s development who at the moment looks very healthy and strong!
This species of lemur is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red list due to habitat loss, mining & illegal logging. They are also sadly hunted for food and the pet trade.
This birth is great news for the conservation of their species and we hope this new family will continue to grow over the years to come.
