Zoologists are celebrating with the birth of the first ever ‘dancing lemur’ that will be bred in Europe. The animal was born at a UK zoo and this was considered a “landmark moment for the species.”
The precious baby Coquerel’s sifaka arrived at Chester Zoo last December 19, and the baby weighed just around 4oz (119g) after a 130-day pregnancy.
The proud mom and dad are Beatrice and Elliot, aged ten. They had successfully bred after they were transferred from a US zoo. The said transfer was made as it was part of a program to protect the critically endangered species from further dwindling.
It is the first time a Coquerel’s sifaka, or what is also referred to as ‘dancing lemurs’ because they swing when they move, was born in Europe.
Of course, the people documented the whole event with adorable pictures and a video to show how the little baby clung to Beatrice while she was parading around the enclosure that was provided for the family.
The sex of the baby has yet to be discovered and the zoo’s staff said that they will find out when the tiny primate will begin to explore its surroundings on its own eventually.
“It’s really exciting to be the first team of conservationists in Europe to successfully breed this unusual and extremely rare primate,” said Mark Brayshaw. He is the curator of Mammals at Chester Zoo. “While it’s still early days, both mum and baby are doing great.
“Beatrice is feeding her new arrival regularly and is keeping it nestled in her fur as she leaps from tree to tree. In a few weeks’ time, the baby will graduate to riding on her back, before branching out and learning to climb trees independently at around six months old.”
“It won’t be long until this bright-eyed baby will be bouncing 20-feet from tree to tree just like its parents.”
A Coquerel’s ‘dancing’ is what sets it apart from all the other lemurs. They maintain an upright posture while they spring from side to side along the floor on their back legs. They are also able to leap more than 20 feet through the treetops in just one bound.
The dancing lemur is listed by the IUCN as critically endangered. In fact, the numbers of the wild population have declined by 30 percent in Madagascar in the past 30 years. The main culprit behind this issue if deforestation, and it’s something that needs to be addressed if they want the lemurs to once again thrive in the wild.
“The birth of a Coquerel’s sifaka in Europe is a real landmark moment for conservation and, importantly, has kickstarted the endangered species breeding program in European zoos for the species,” said Mike Jordan. He is the Director of Animals and Plants at Chester Zoo.
“This could be a real lifeboat,” he added.
Many hope that the birth will inspire others to follow suit and make sure that the numbers slowly climb in the years to come.
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