Triplet Lemurs Bounce in to Woodland Park Zoo

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: April 13, 2021 3:09 am

red ruffed lemur triplets Woodland Park Zoo

A red ruffed lemur infant is held by a keeper at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle

Photo Credit: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo

A trio of red ruffed lemurs were born at Woodland Park Zoo on March 29th 2021. It has been 16 years since the last lemur infants were welcomed at the zoo.

First time mother Sally welcomed the triplets but a paternity test will be required to determine which male within the colony is the father. Further inspection will also be required to determine the genders of the babies.

The triplet red ruffed lemur infants are held by a keeper at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle

Photo Credit: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo

Vets have performed a neonatal exam and can confirm that all three triplets are thriving. These checks will continue to ensure that the infants are healthy and gaining weight.

Currently Sally is being kept in an off-display den with her family where they can bond and nurse in peace. All going well it is expected that the family will go on display later in spring.

Guests at Woodland Park Zoo can meet the red ruffed lemur family outdoors on the Tropical Rain Forest loop.

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“We’re so excited about this birth of lemurs. This is a significant birth for the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ (AZA) population,” said Mark Myers, an animal curator at Woodland Park Zoo.

“Our animals help our visitors and community build connections to them as individuals. In turn, people begin to see the link between the individual animals at the zoo—such as lemurs—their wild counterparts and their wild places. These baby lemurs will help further these connections to care about saving the species and other wildlife. Additionally, they will contribute to the genetic and demographic sustainability of the population in AZA zoos.”

A red ruffed lemur infant is held by a keeper at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle

Photo Credit: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo

The breeding of these triplets was a recommendation of the Red Ruffed Lemur Species Survival Plan, which is a cooperative, conservation breeding program across accredited zoos to help ensure a healthy, self-sustaining population of lemurs.

Woodland Park Zoo are part of 111 of these Species Survival Plans.

Lemurs are native to Madagascar. They forage for fruit, nectar, pollen, seeds and leaves.