A female Mongoose Lemur, born at the Saint Louis Zoo on March 19, can now be seen by visitors as she plays with her mom, Dahlia, and dad, Snuffy, in the Zoo’s Primate House.

This is the first successful birth and rearing of a Mongoose Lemur at the Zoo, a milestone for the critically endangered species and a credit to the hundreds of hours of work contributed by the entire animal care team at the Primate House.

Known as “Princess Buttercup”, the baby is healthy and very energetic. However, her first few months of life started off a bit rocky, requiring round-the-clock care and feeding by the Zoo’s primate care staff.

Photo Credits: Ethan Riepl (Images 1,3,4) /Mylisa Whipple (2)/ Saint Louis Zoo

Six-year-old Dahlia has previously been unsuccessful in raising her infants, so when this pregnancy was confirmed, primate keepers consulted with numerous colleagues and conservation organizations with extensive lemur experience for advice. After creating a comprehensive birth plan, a decision was made to intervene early after this birth.

From the beginning, Dahlia cared for the baby in every way except nursing. She groomed, kept her warm, and let Princess Buttercup hang onto her fur. The animal care staff hand fed formula to the 68.5-gram (about 2.4 ounces) newborn using a syringe and performed regular weigh-ins and check-ups to make sure she was gaining weight and progressing normally.

For the first three weeks, Princess Buttercup was fed every two hours and demanded almost constant attention. Through training and a trusting relationship between the keepers and the lemur parents, Dahlia and Snuffy allowed the keepers to feed, weigh and monitor their baby since her birth. At 3 ½ months old, she now receives three formula feedings a day and is trying out a variety of adult foods as well.

The entire team of dedicated primate keepers altered their schedules in order to provide 24-hour care for this new baby, making sure that she was healthy, comfortable and well fed.

“We are all thrilled that Princess Buttercup is thriving and that we were able to assist Dahlia in raising her baby,” said Mylisa Whipple, one of the primate unit keepers who was instrumental in preparing the birth plan. “It’s an exhausting process to raise a child – any parent can attest to this – but every Mongoose Lemur birth is extremely important for this endangered species and we wanted to do the absolute best for her. It’s an amazing feeling to see her doing so well after such a tough start.”

This birth is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Mongoose Lemur Species Survival Plan, a program to manage a genetically healthy population of Mongoose Lemurs in North American zoos. With Princess Buttercup’s birth, there are now a total of 68 Mongoose Lemurs in all AZA zoos (38 female, 30 male).

The Mongoose Lemur (Eulemur mongoz) is a critically endangered species native to the dry forests of northwestern Madagascar, where it searches for its diet of nectar, fruit, flowers and leaves. The small lemur weighs only 3 to 4 pounds as an adult.

Like many other lemurs, the Mongoose Lemur is in danger of extinction in the wild, due to continued habitat loss, as their forest homes are logged for timber and turned into farmland.

*The Saint Louis Zoo is home to the international headquarters of the Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group, a consortium of zoos and aquariums committed to conserving lemurs and other wildlife species within their native habitat.

Zoo Ostrava welcomed a female Mongoose Lemur baby on April 5.

The six-month-old is not only the first of her kind born at the Zoo; she is also the first-born in any Czech or Slovakian facility. The total population of this lemur species in European zoos is less than 50 individuals, with about 30 males and 18 females. Over the last five years, only four young Mongoose Lemurs have been raised in European zoos.

Photo Credits: Pavel Vlček

The Mongoose Lemur (Eulemur mongoz) is a small primate in the Lemuridae family and is native to Madagascar and the Comoros Islands.

These arboreal animals have pointed faces, long bushy tails, dark brown upper parts, pale bellies and a beard, which is reddish in males and white in females. They live in family groups and feed primarily on fruits, leaves, flowers and nectar.

The Mongoose Lemur has declined sharply in numbers because of habitat destruction and hunting. They are currently classified as “Critically Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Zoo Ostrava and dozens of other European facilities are not only endeavoring to save the lemurs and other endangered animals by creating viable reserve populations in human care; they are also helping directly in Madagascar. Since 2005, Zoo Ostrava has been a member of the AEECL (The Lemur Conservation Association), a non-governmental organization that runs conservation and research activities in Madagascar and helps save endemic species of animals and plants that are not found anywhere else in the world.

Earlier this month, Busch Gardens witnessed an uncommon event: the birth of Mongoose Lemur twins. On Friday, April 6, the two babies were born to 17-year-old mother Rosalita and 18-year-old father Guillermo. Rosalita’s first baby – a male named Duggan – was also born at Busch Gardens and moved to another zoo for breeding. Mongoose Lemurs are classified as a “vulnerable” species, and Busch Gardens takes part in Species Survival Plans (SSP) initiated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to cooperatively manage breeding programs for threatened or endangered species in accredited institutions. 

Busch Gardens zoo staff aren’t yet sure if the new babies are male or female. All baby Mongoose Lemurs look the same at birth, but around 6-8 months of age, males start to change color and develop their red “beard” and cheeks. Females have a darker face and white beard. 

Look closely in the pictures below to spot the babies tucked under mom's leg!

Photo credit: Matt Marriott / Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

The Mongoose Lemur, like all Lemurs, is indigenous to the island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, but they are one of only two species of Lemur to also live in an area outside the island: Mongoose Lemurs can be found on the Comoros Islands between Madagascar and Africa.

Born May 13th at the UK's Linton Zoo, this rare baby Mongoose Lemur, named "Tia," has just begun to adventure about her exhibit. Both Mum "Maggie" aged 16, and 21 year old dad "Henry" are clearly pleased with the new arrival. "Megan" their five year old daughter is as excited as any sibling would be. She too is helping out with the daily care of her new sister and as well as having a boisterous new play mate, she is gaining lots of essential parental skills ready for when she too becomes a mum.

Like all lemurs, Mongoose Lemurs are native to Madagascar. However unlike all but one other lemur species, Mongoose Lemurs can also be found outside of Madagascar on the Island of Comoros. 

A special European breeding programmed aimed at saving this species from from extinction is managed at Linton Zoo. Careful co-ordination and constant monitoring of the European population with recommendations on various husbandry techniques and diets is beginning to pay off and Linton Zoo is very proud to successfully breed this wonderful lemur again. This baby is the first born in the captive population for over four years! 

More outstanding photos below the fold.