Rare lemur babies, including two sets of twins, are settling into their new home at Your big guide to Chester Zoo – cheapest tickets, opening times and all you need to know .
The six animals - five endangered ring-tailed lemur babies and the zoo’s first ever baby black lemur - are the latest arrivals being celebrated by conservationists at the zoo.
The babies were all less than 15 centimetres tall at birth and each no heavier than a tennis ball.
Visitors can now spot them piggybacking on their mums inside the zoo's new 'walk-though' primate experience.
We New Madagascar habitat to open at Chester Zoo - with a 'walk-though' lemur experience how the African nation’s unique landscapes have been recreated in 6,000 square metres of specially designed new animal habitats.
Families can watch the lemurs jumping across the path in front of them or swinging in the trees above them as they make their way through part of the new zone.
Primate experts say the lemurs enter the world as ‘miniature adults’ with all of their fur markings developed.
However, it will be some time before zookeepers are able to determine whether the new arrivals are boys or girls, as the babies travel around piggybacking on their mothers.
The lemurs of Madagascar are the planet’s highest primate conservation priority, as habitat loss in the wild pushes multiple species to the brink of extinction.
The ring-tailed lemurs are living side-by-side with a group of critically endangered red ruffed lemurs. Also being cared for in the huge new habitats are four crowned lemurs, another species that is endangered in the wild.
New Madagascar habitat to open at Chester Zoo - with a 'walk-though' lemur experience
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Dr Nick Davis, Chester Zoo’s deputy curator of mammals, said: “Madagascar is a truly inspirational place; home to incredible, unique wildlife that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet.
"Yet we can report first-hand that we are on the brink of losing many of these species forever. Conserving Madagascar’s lemurs is urgent and critical. That’s why any birth is important, but to have six rare baby lemurs born within weeks of each other is great news for the breeding programme.
“The newborns are clinging tight to their mums right now; it’s a real family affair. They grow up quickly though. Within a few weeks, the little ones will start to climb on their own, eat solid foods and gain some independence. It’s going to be a magical spring and summer period watching their development.”
Your big guide to Chester Zoo – cheapest tickets, opening times and all you need to know
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