Snakes and Lemur Part of Baby Boom at Belfast Zoo

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: June 30, 2021 11:59 pm

The crowned lemur infant clings to its mother at the Belfast Zoo

Photo Credit: Belfast Zoo

Belfast Zoo are in the midst of a baby boom as snakes, iguanas, bongos, lemurs and even a giraffe have been born at the Northern Ireland attraction.

Six Madagascar tree boas, five Fiji banded iguanas, a critically endangered bongo, a crowned lemur and a giraffe have all been born with the giraffe calf arriving in front of hundreds of delighted onlookers.

Zoo Curator, Andrew Hope said, “It has been a busy few months here at the zoo, particularly in the Reptile House with the arrival of the boas and iguanas. Adult tree boas are green, but when they are born they are a beautiful shade of red. They are ovoviviparous which means they do not lay eggs. The female incubates them within its own body and the babies are born live, which a lot of people do not know. This is the first time we have bred these snakes since the female arrived in 2017.”

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Andrew continues, “The arrival of the five Fiji banded iguanas is another first for us here at the zoo. A breeding pair arrived from Vienna Zoo and Augsburg Zoo back in 2018. They are an endangered lizard found on several of the Fiji islands and are bright blue and green in colour. The males are particularly striking with vertical blue and light green stripes covering their body and tail.”

Crowned lemurs are an endangered species so each new arrival is a massive bonus for their species. This species is threatened by habitat loss, hunting, mining and logging.

Zoo Manager Alyn Cairns said, “The birth of every species at the zoo here is a joy, but the birth of an endangered species is always extra special. Lemur mothers keep their babies close to their body so we had to wait for a few weeks to go by before we could confirm that the latest arrival is a boy.”