This year, eight ring-tailed lemur babies were born at Wellington Zoo, and the sheer number of lemurs born has zoo staff in “shock”, especially because they’re all twins.
Wellington Zoo’s primate keeper Lisa Ridley said they’ve never seen anything like it before.
“It’s a first, we’re all in shock to be honest,” Lisa Ridley said.
The ring-tailed lemur is an endangered species, and Wellington Zoo runs a breeding programme for the species.
Last year, Wellington Zoo introduced a male lemur called Zeus into the enclosure which he shares with four other female lemurs.
The breeding window only comes around once a year and lasts between 24-36 hours.
“He got around very well,” Ridley said.
The zoo has welcomed four sets of twins into its family this year. (Source: 1News)
The baby lemur boom in the capital is great news for the population of the species.
“It’s really good because we can be part of an international breeding programme and it does help with genetics and diversity,” Ridley said.
Unlike Greek mythology, Zeus has little authority when it comes to his position at the zoo.
Ring-tailed lemurs are run by a matriarch, meaning that the female lemurs are in charge, so they allow Zeus to be there.
However, once the eight lemur babies are fully grown, a new male lemur will be introduced into the enclosure to take over Zeus’s role.
For now, Wellington Zoo is celebrating the breeding success and the babies seem to be very popular with visitors too.
“These guys are a big drawcard at the moment, everyone wants to see the baby lemurs,” Ridley said.
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