Rare black lemur born at Dudley Zoo for first time in decade
A rare black lemur has been born at a zoo for the first time in over a decade.
Dudley Zoo, which is part of the European Endangered Species Programme, welcomed the furry friend on May 15.
The newborn was born to first-time mum, Barbara and dad, Bryan.
Curator Richard Brown said: “This is fantastic news not only for DZG, but for the captive population as a whole.
“Six year-old Barbara arrived from Bioparc Fuengirola in Spain in November, to join our 11-year-old resident male, Bryan as together they make a very important genetic pair.
“She’s only been here just over six months, but must have made an impression on Bryan almost immediately.
“Mum and baby are both doing really well, so we’re thrilled, especially as this is the first black lemur baby we’ve had at Dudley Zoo since 2006.”
Keepers are yet to confirm the baby’s sex as the grey-coloured youngster will cling to mum for the next few weeks, but will reveal its own gender in time, as only males have black fur and females develop their characteristic brown colour after a few weeks.
A threatened species, they’re only found on the north western tip of Madagascar and a few outlying islands in the wild and are hunted for food and the pet trade.
The newborn can be found in our one-acre Lemur Wood walkthrough exhibit, alongside our free-roaming ring-tailed, collared and black-and-white ruffed lemurs.
