The Bedford Estates, LondonKeepers at Woburn Safari Park are ecstatic to have welcomed the arrival of a ring-tailed lemur baby, born to proud parents Koko and Berenty on 11th March 2024.
The newborn has already been spotted clinging to experienced mum Koko to the delight of visitors in the Land of Lemurs walkthrough enclosure at Woburn Safari Park. Our content creator captured mum Koko and dad Berenty sharing this tender moment with their newborn - when they were just two days old.
The proud parents could be spotted grooming each other as their newborn clung tightly to mum Koko below them. Grooming is an important behaviour among lemurs and strengthens social bonds within the group.
Animal Encounters Keeper Imogen told us 'Koko is more than happy to let Berenty come and interact with their baby at this very early stage. As time goes on and the baby grows, we will expect them to interact socially with the group, learn from them and explore their surroundings.'
An important arrival for this endangered species
The baby's arrival is of particular importance, as the ring-tailed lemurs are listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.
As with all species of lemur, they are only found on the island of Madagascar and sadly their main threat in the wild comes from humans with their numbers dwindling dramatically due to hunting and deforestation.
It is now believed that there are fewer than 2,400 individuals living in the wild, which makes the arrival of any new births critical for their long-term survival as a species.
Visiting the adorable baby at Woburn Safari Park
The tiny lemur baby weighed just 70g when it was born. For the first two weeks of their life, they will be carried on the front of Koko's chest, before they move to clinging to her back instead.
Koko and her young lemur baby can already be seen in the Land of Lemurs walk-through enclosure.
Over the next few months, the youngster will gradually begin to spend time away from their mother and start to explore the many trees and ropes within their home. For now though, they’re much happier hitch-hiking a ride on Koko!