Posted July 8, 2021 in New Arrivals
Crowned lemur baby born!
We’re excited to announce that our Crowned lemur pair, Triksie and Ala, have welcomed their second baby together! Born on 15th April, this is only the second Crowned lemur baby to be born at Colchester Zoo!
Mum, Triksie, arrived at Colchester Zoo in July 2018, joined later that same month by our male, Ala. The pair have been together ever since and in 2020 they welcomed their first baby, a male named Arne.
As second time parents, the pair seem very comfortable with their new arrival and, during the first few weeks, the tiny baby could be seen clinging on to mum. Now a few months old, the little one is beginning to show more confidence and is already learning how to be more independent, copying older brother, Arne, and practicing its leaping skills with mum and dad!
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. We hope it won’t be too long before the Animal Care Team are able to confirm the gender of the baby and the little one can be named.
This species of lemur is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red list due to habitat loss, mining and illegal logging. Sadly, they are also hunted for food and the pet trade.
This birth is great news for the conservation of the species, and we hope this success will continue in the years to come.
