The Lemur Conservation Foundation is delighted to announce the birth of a critically endangered red-ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra). This little boy was born in the late hours on May 25.
Thanks to this year’s amazing donations of several WiFi cameras from our supporters, staff were able to observe the birth from afar, watching for any signs of complications. This is the third offspring born to mother Ravina, following the birth of son Afo in 2014 and daughter Zazabe in 2016.
Unlike our other lemur species, red-ruffed infants don’t cling to their mother. Instead, as females can give birth to litters of up to six infants, she makes a nest where her babies safely reside until they’re big enough to move around on their own. This nesting behavior allows our staff to more closely monitor red ruffed lemur infants including sexing the infant(s) and obtaining regular weights to closely monitor growth and development.
Enjoy this compilation comprised of videos taken with our WiFi camera during the infant’s first week of life.
While ideal birth weights for ruffed lemurs range from 100-125 grams, our newest addition weighed in at a concerning 63g at birth. Luckily, this baby has proven himself to be a fighter and consistently gained weight every day, without any staff intervention. Just over a month later and this not-so-little lemur now weighs in at 468g. That’s over seven times his birth weight in just six weeks!
This infant’s amazing growth would not be possible without the incredible devotion of his mother Ravina. Over four years since her last infant, Ravina stepped right back into motherhood without difficulty. For red ruffed lemur moms, this means spending 70-90% of their time in the nest for the first two weeks after giving birth!
Stay tuned for updates on this little boy in our e-news and on social media!