Four new baby lemurs were born at the Dallas Zoo, the organization announced on Friday.
The black and white ruffed lemurs were born on March 7 to lemurs Alina and Iggy. They are the first baby lemurs at the zoo in over 30 years.
We are thrilled to announce we have welcomed FOUR black and white ruffed lemur babies! Born to parents Alina and Iggy on March 7, these little ones are the first black and white ruffed lemurs babies at the Zoo in over 30 years! pic.twitter.com/70KazM7ls3
— Dallas Zoo (@DallasZoo) April 21, 2023
Linda King, an associate curator of mammals at the Dallas Zoo, stated, “It’s been a really exciting time; it’s a great team project.”
King emphasized that four babies are a lot for the first-time mom, Alina, to manage.
The zoo’s animal care team, veterinarian team, and nutritionist are all working together to help the mother handle the infants. King mentioned that the zoo staff is most concerned about her ability to produce enough milk to nourish all the babies equally.
It takes a team of 10 to handle the whole endeavor of checking in on the lemur babies, according to King. Having that many people allows the team to complete their tasks quickly with minimal disturbance to the animals.
During check-ups, one staff member feeds the mother while another removes the infants from their nest. They then weigh the babies, check up on them, feed them, and take their temperatures.
Baby lemurs are helpless at birth, “but they develop very quickly,” King said.
In addition to feeding the lemurs, the staff has been increasing Alina’s diet to better aid her in nourishing her babies.
“[The baby lemurs] are doing great. Each and every one of them is gaining an expected amount of weight,” King said.
Visitors cannot yet see the baby lemurs in the habitat, and it may be a while before they are shown to the public.
In the meantime, the lemurs are “practicing all those skills they’ll need for once they’re out there when it’s a little warmer and they’re a little more developed,” said King.
These aren’t the only new additions to Dallas Zoo’s menagerie of primates: This announcement comes just days after the zoo announced the arrival of two baby tamarin monkeys.
Mom Lettie and dad Roger welcomed the babies into the world on March 29.
“These little ones can be seen riding on mom, or dad’s back, and sometimes the backs of their older siblings, Chico and Ilsa! Stop by the Tamarin Treetops habitat to spot these little ones,” said the Dallas Zoo tweet.
Tamarin monkeys are pregnant for only about four and a half months, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. The monkeys can give birth to one or two babies at a time and even, on rare occasions, three. Adult males will help the female after birth by taking the baby and washing it.
In these first couple of months, the newborns will be carried by the adult monkeys. When the babies are about 2 to 3 months old, they will be weaned.
Earlier this year, two tamarin monkeys were stolen from the zoo and found in a home in Lancaster, as reported by The Dallas Express. Those monkeys, named Bella and Finn, are not the same as the ones who just gave birth, according to WFAA.
Despite the tumult that the zoo faced early in 2023, there has been mainly good news at the zoo lately.
In March, the zoo welcomed a new baby giraffe, as The Dallas Express reported. In February, new babies Okubili, an elephant, and Tikiti, a warthog, were born. The elephant birth was notable for the zoo, as it was the first time they attempted to recreate the elephants’ natural birthing conditions.
The zoo also welcomed a baby gorilla, Bruno, in November of last year, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Note: This article was updated on April 26, 2023, to include additional information.