The first ever ‘dancing lemur’ to be bred in Europe was born at a UK zoo in a “landmark moment for the species”.
The precious baby Coquerel’s sifaka arrived at Chester Zoo on December 19, weighing just 4oz (119g) following a 130-day pregnancy.
Proud parents Beatrice and Elliot, both aged ten, successfully bred after being transferred from a US zoo as part of a program to protect this critically endangered species.
It is the first time a Coquerel’s sifaka—otherwise known as ‘dancing lemurs’ because of their swinging movements—has been born in Europe.
Adorable pictures and video show the cute baby clinging to its mom Beatrice while she shows it around their enclosure.
The sex of the baby is not yet known but staff say they will find this out when the tiny primate starts to explore on its own.
“It’s really exciting to be the first team of conservationists in Europe to successfully breed this unusual and extremely rare primate,” said Mark Brayshaw, Curator of Mammals at Chester Zoo. “While it’s still early days, both mum and baby are doing great.
“Beatrice is feeding her new arrival regularly and is keeping it nestled in her fur as she leaps from tree to tree. In a few weeks’ time, the baby will graduate to riding on her back, before branching out and learning to climb trees independently at around six months old.”
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“It won’t be long until this bright-eyed baby will be bouncing 20-feet from tree to tree just like its parents.”
A Coquerel’s ‘dancing’ distinguishes it from other lemurs. They maintain an upright posture whilst springing side to side along the floor on their back legs and leap more than 20-ft through the treetops in a single bound.
Listed by the IUCN as critically endangered, the wild population has declined by 30 percent in Madagascar in the last 30 years due to deforestation.
“The birth of a Coquerel’s sifaka in Europe is a real landmark moment for conservation and, importantly, has kickstarted the endangered species breeding program in European zoos for the species,” says Mike Jordan, Director of Animals and Plants at Chester Zoo.
“This could be a real lifeboat.”
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