On March 25, the seventh ring-tailed lemur baby (Lemur catta) of the year was born at Debrecen Zoo and Botanical Garden, marking the largest baby boom of this species in recent years. However, the joy of the now 21-member lemur troop was overshadowed by sadness: the baby was the sole survivor of a rare triplet pregnancy (trigeminy), and its mother tragically passed away after giving birth.
Weighing just 74 grams at birth, the male lemur baby is now under 24-hour care and veterinary supervision. A dedicated two-member caregiver team at Zoo Debrecen is raising him. The first few weeks are critical, with high mortality rates. Fortunately, little Gedeon – as he’s been named – has a strong appetite, consuming formula equal to one-third of his body weight, and is steadily gaining strength and catching up in development.
Ring-tailed lemurs are highly social creatures, and it is especially important for an orphaned baby to learn behaviors and bond with its peers. Caregivers are placing special emphasis on facilitating both visual and, eventually, physical contact with fellow lemurs to ensure he can rejoin his natural environment among relatives. If all goes well, gradual reintegration will begin within a month, and visitors will soon be able to meet this little survivor in the Katta Walk area.
Until then, while he is growing in safe and loving hands, Gedeon happily welcomes support through the zoo’s animal adoption program.
Visitors during the Easter long weekend might also catch a glimpse of the six other baby lemurs raised by their mothers, clinging tightly to them in the lemur enclosure, as part of the zoo’s Animals in Action spring break program.
Nearly one-third (31%) of all lemur species in Madagascar are currently critically endangered. The ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta), perhaps the best-known of Madagascar’s endemic primates, lives in dry forests in female-led groups of 12–24 individuals. It is the most ground-dwelling of all lemurs, foraging for fallen fruit. Despite being among the most popular and widely kept primates in zoos, their wild populations are in alarming decline, having dropped by an estimated 95% over the past two decades due to habitat loss, poaching, and illegal trade. This species is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
(Zoo Debrecen)
