MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Zoo Miami is welcoming the birth of their newest member to the zoo family -- an endangered mongoose lemur.
Zoo Miami has welcomed several new babies during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this birth was extra special since it was the first birth of this species in the zoo’s history.
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The mongoose lemur was born on May 6 and is now on exhibit with its mother, Julieta.
Julieta, 5, and the father, Jaunito, 12, were both born at the Lemur Conservation Foundation in Myakka City, Florida.
The parents arrived to Zoo Miami in January 2019. This is their first offspring.
An endangered mongoose lemur was born May 6, 2020, at Zoo Miami. (Photos courtesy of Zoo Miami)
“Because of the sensitivity of the situation, zoo staff has not attempted to perform a neonatal exam on the infant to help ensure that both mother and baby are well bonded with minimal disturbance,” a news release from Zoo Miami stated. “Because no exam has been done, the gender of the baby is still undetermined.”
Mongoose lemurs are found on the island of Madagascar, just like all other lemurs. But the mongoose lemur is the only lemur species to be found outside of Madagascar after being introduced to the Comoros Islands, which are located northwest of Madagascar.
Mongoose lemurs feed primarily on fruits and flowers and are considered to be important pollinators, the news release stated.
According to Zoo Miami, mongoose lemurs are found in small family groups that consist of “an adult bonded pair and offspring,” with the female typically being the dominant individual.