By Patrick Goebel
Yes, who is looking so cute and fluffy from their mom’s tummy? It’s a small black lemur. Lemurs are a species of lemur and were formerly known as prosimians, from which they are remotely descended. The child of Uta and Brutus, who live as a couple in the zoo, was born overnight in Saarbrücken Zoo in mid-April, the zoo now reports. In the meantime, the little rascal shows up to zoo visitors more often in the enclosure.
Zoo director Jakob Kolleck is happy about the addition. “Thanks to the breeding success of the highly endangered black lemurs, we can make our contribution to the conservation of the species. The little one is doing great and is being well cared for by his experienced mother.”
In black lemurs, the color of the ear tufts indicates gender. If it’s black like the baby lemur in Saarbrücken Zoo, it’s a male. “We haven’t been able to take a close look yet,” says Jakob Kolleck. “His mother is very careful.” That’s why the little one doesn’t have a name yet.
Visitors can discover the offspring of lemurs in the tropicarium at Saarbrücken Zoo. There he is clinging tightly to his mother’s belly.
Black lemurs can be between 35 and 40 centimeters tall and weigh up to 2.4 kilograms. They originally come from Africa: Ever since Madagascar separated from the African continent around 160 million years ago, the prosimians have been able to develop there. Many species evolved, including lemurs. Over 100 lemur species now live in Madagascar. The smallest among them are the pygmy mouse lemurs; they only weigh 30 grams.
It is not yet known when the baby lemur will be given a name in Saarbrücken Zoo. The “Oh!” and “Ah!” calls should be safe for the little one – regardless of whether it’s male or female.
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