Leaping with joy, the Calgary Zoo proudly announced last week the birth of a Critically-Endangered lemur pup that will hopefully play a part in keeping its remarkable species on the globe with us.
Born to parents Eny and Menabe, the pup is a black-and-white ruffed lemur, of which maybe 10,000 remain in the wilds of Madagascar.
Calgary Zoo has a Species Survival Plan for the animals in which the few numbers they breed in captivity will be used strategically to boost genetic diversity in key areas.
“With black-and-white ruffed lemurs being critically endangered in the wild, this pup already plays an important role in the survival and well-being of its species,” said Typhenn Brichieri-Colombi, conservation research, and strategy advisor at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.
Exciting news!🎉 A critically endangered black-and-white ruffed lemur pup was born last month to lemur parents 'Eny' & 'Menabe'. While the family is not viewable at this time, all are doing well. Eny is displaying great early mothering skills! 💚 Read on: https://t.co/PExRFapCwd pic.twitter.com/6KqH3nDv28
— Calgary Zoo (@calgaryzoo) May 11, 2023
Father Menabe, who is now 8 years old, has been in Calgary since 2017, and met Eny, his mate, in 2021 when she was flown there from the Czech Republic after zookeepers realized they could make a good match.
At the moment, the public cannot come to meet the family, as they are bonding behind the scenes and will not return to their enclosures until May 19th.
With endemism at 90%, Madagascar is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. Thousands of plant and animal species evolved in total separation from the rest of the African continent, developing strange features and strategies to thrive in their environments.
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There are officially 21 species and 6 subspecies of lemurs alive today. There have been many more in the past, including some extinct ones the size of gorillas.
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