JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — (The video above is from a previous report)
Look at those baby blues! One of the world’s most endangered primates, a blue-eyed black lemur, has been born at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.
The zoo says keepers do not know the gender yet and are giving the family space during this critical time of development.
The infant will remain behind-the-scenes in a quiet area with its parents until it is old enough to safely join the rest of the group.
The Zoo’s blue-eyed black lemurs reside in the African Forest, an enriching, dynamic, wellness-inspired and award-winning exhibit that opened in August 2018.
“We have many reasons to celebrate this new infant. He or she will further enrich the social environment and experience of the Zoo’s amazing mixed-species lemur group and strengthen the sustainability of the Blue-eyed black lemur population,” said Tracy Fenn, Assistant Curator of Mammals. “The Madagascar team is elated to see this infant thriving in the care of the mother.”
Blue-eyed black lemurs are one of only a few primates who have blue eyes. Males in the species are black while the females are a rusty brown color.
Blue-eyed black lemurs are critically endangered, and every birth of this species is critical to their long-term sustainability.
The wild population’s continued decline is based on a series of issues, including habitat loss.
Madagascar is the only place lemurs are found. It is estimated that there will be an 88% reduction in the population by 2080 due to climate change alone.
