Four black and white ruffed lemurs that were born at Australia’s National Zoo & Aquarium in Canberra made their first appearance to the public on Thursday.
The zoo’s wildlife manager said the quadruplet lemurs, who were born one month ago, are part of an international breeding program and will eventually be sent to other zoos once they are sexually mature.
“The black and white ruffed lemurs here have been managed by a stud bookkeeper, a species manager, who will look at the genetics and look at the genetics of all lemurs within the region, and then they’ll provide recommendations as to where these lemurs will go for future breeding,” Zoo Manager Renee Osterloh said.
The species usually only gives birth to two offspring in a litter, which means the birth of the additional lemurs is an important boost to the program.
The lemurs are native to Madagascar where deforestation and the pet and meat trade have threatened the survival of the species.
