Newquay Zoo Welcome Birth of Crowned Lemur

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: July 18, 2021 4:20 am

The crowned lemur infant born on June 24th 2021 clings to its mother Beloha

Photo Credit: Newquay Zoo

Newquay Zoo are celebrating the birth of a crowned lemur infant. This is a boost for the endangered species.

Mother Beloha gave birth to the infant on June 24th 2021. The father of the infant is Xavier. Keepers say the infant has been developing well and has been spotted clinging on to its mother. This behavior will occur for the next 5-6 months.

At present keepers have not determined the gender of the infant.

This is the fourth member of the crowned lemur family at Newquay Zoo. It joins its parents and one year old sibling Boingy.

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Senior primate keeper Danielle Wilkins said: “It is difficult to determine which sex they are when they are infants, especially as they stay very close to mum.”

“As they develop with age, males and females can be differentiated through their colouration. Females are predominantly light grey with a pale orange crown and males are reddish brown with an orange and black crown.”

Crowned lemurs are considered endangered in the wild. They face a range of threats including habitat loss by forest fires, cultivation, logging and development. The addition of this species is an important step in the conservation of the species.

Learn more about Newquay Zoo on their website – Newquay Zoo