Twin Ring-Tailed Lemur Babies Get Health Checks and Debut at the San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo welcomed two endangered ring-tailed lemur infants when adult female Rosalita gave birth to twins July 8, 2020 at the Conrad Prebys Africa Rocks Madagascar Forest habitat.

Keeping with the Zoo’s high standard of care, veterinarians did a wellness check on the tiny infants earlier this week. The lemurs—one female and one male -- who are yet to be named, are reported to be doing very well, nursing properly and gaining weight under the watchful eye of their doting mother.

There are more than 100 species of lemurs—all native to the island of Madagascar, and all considered threatened or endangered. The ring-tailed lemur is among the most populous and easily recognized, with its big eyes, woolly fur and long black-and-white ringed tail. Ring-tailed lemurs are mostly active during the day. Unlike other lemurs, they spend more time on the ground than in trees. Ring-tailed lemurs are listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, primarily due to habitat destruction. Lemur habitats are often destroyed or degraded through illegal logging and forest clearing for agriculture and mining.

Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot and a popular location for ecotourism. When people travel to the island to see its distinctive and amazing wildlife, their visits help support local people and encourage local efforts to save the forests. Travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected ecotourism in Madagascar, leading to precarious economic situations, which could in turn have dire consequences for the country’s protected areas and threatened endemic species.

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