Mums and babies doing well
One lemur in Cork has been, eh, busy lately as he is now a proud dad of five babies with four different females.
The birth of these lemurs marks a significant milestone for Fota Wildlife Park, with four females, Quinta, Aqua, Brida, and Dolly (known as DC), giving birth to the five youngsters. Merlot, a four year old lemur who joined Fota Wildlife Park from Parc Zoo du Reynou in France in 2022, is the father of all the newborns, expanding the free-range group of ring-tailed lemurs to a total of fourteen members.
Lemurs are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Ring-tailed lemurs are currently classified as endangered with recent reports suggesting that there has been a 95% reduction in the wild population of ring-tailed lemurs since 1990, with 3000 ring-tailed lemur remaining in the wild.
Lead Ranger, Teresa Power, said: "This is a momentous occasion for us. As a relatively new breeding group, we are thrilled to witness the successful reproduction within our lemur group, signifying their adaptation and settlement into their habitat here at Fota. Ring-tailed lemurs are synonymous with Fota Wildlife Park, and have been present since we opened the gates over 40 years ago.
“They are a free-roaming species so they don’t have a specific habitat and can go where they please around the Palm Walk Islands. One of the unique aspects of the park is our free ranging animals, such as wallabies and kangaroos, and our visitors delight in seeing many of these species crossing their path.”
The birth journey commenced on 22 March when three year old DC gave birth, followed by Aqua, aged eight, who welcomed twins on 24 March, making DC an aunt as well as a mother.
Subsequently, seven year old Brida delivered her baby on 25 March, and most recently, on the evening of 9 April, ten year old Quinta gave birth.
Teresa added: “As the babies continue to nurse and bond closely with their mothers, their genders remain undetermined until they are old enough to be carefully health-checked by our animal care team and weighed.
“Visitors can catch glimpses of the free-range troop as they explore Palm Walk, indulging in fresh leaves and buds, or seeking shelter in their purpose-built house within the Madagascan village.
“The lemurs' playful antics, including jockey-style rides on their mothers' backs, are entertaining our visitors and primate team alike!”
Fota has asked the public to participate in naming the new lemurs at fotawildlife.ie/news for a chance to win one of five conservation annual passes.