The San Diego Zoo recently welcomed the birth of a ring-tailed lemur infant at the Zoo’s Conrad Preby’s Africa Tocks Madagascar Forest Habitat.
First-time lemur mother, Rindra, gave girth to the female infant on May 22, who is yet to be named. Wildlife care specialists report the infant is doing well, nursing, and gaining weight.
“We are all so excited and honored to have this little lemur in our care,” said Yeleny Smith, wildlife care specialist at the San Diego Zoo.
Smith said the infant lemur is “very inquisitive and developing quickly” and is seen clinging to Rinda’s back as she moves about the lemur habitat. Wildlife care specialists describe Rinda as very attentive to her newborn, grooming and nursing her well.
“Rinda is going an excellent job caring for her infant,” Smith said.
Fellow ring-tailed lemurs in the habitat are reported to be very welcoming to the newborn lemur, seen helping with grooming the infant and instinctive social behavior that helps strengthen the social bonds of the troop. Wildlife specialists say that the infant will begin spending more time on her own and return to her mother to nurse or sleep until she is weaned off around 5 to 6 months of age.
According to the San Diego Zoo, there are more than 100 species of lemurs, all native to the island of Madagascar, but the ring-tailed lemur is among the most populous. They are mostly active during the day, but unlike other lemurs, they spend more time on the ground than in the trees.
The newborn lemur infant and the ring-tailed lemur troop may be seen at the Africa Rocks habitat. Now through Sept. 5, Nighttime zoo offers guests the chance to explore the Zoo at night. For more information on the Nighttime Zoo, visit sandiegozoo.org.
