Rare lemur birth a double success for London Zoo
Wednesday 5 April 2006
London Zoo is pleased to announce the birth of rare Alaotran Gentle lemur twins.
© PA
This is the first time London Zoo’s Gentle lemurs have given birth to twins and it won’t be long before the babies will be copying their parents in marking their territory by rubbing their bottoms on the ground!
This species of lemur is critically endangered in the wild because its natural home around Lac Alaotra in Madagascar is being burnt off to provide space for the increasing demand for rice cultivation. While two protection areas for the lemurs have been proposed to the Madagascan government, it is not known if this protection will ever happen.
As part of a breeding programme, London Zoo’s babies are not expected to ‘hang around’ too long and will be transferred to another breeding site within the United Kingdom at about two years old to continue the conservation work being undertaken to save this important species.
Alaotran lemurs are active during both the day and the night with peaks of activity at dawn and dusk. These lemurs eat mostly papyrus leaves.
See footage of baby Alaotran Gentle Lemurs below.
