Endangered crowned lemur born at Zoo Atlanta

ATLANTA – Zoo Atlanta celebrates the birth of a crowned lemur.

The newborn was delivered by cesarean section on May 20 to his mother Sava after stopping work, suggesting a breech presentation. The infant is the fourth surviving child of experienced parents Sava, 10, and male Xonsu, 11.

Crowned lemurs are found in the northern tip of Madagascar – the only place on Earth where more than 100 known species of lemurs are found. Madagascar is also home to some of the most endangered wildlife on the planet.

Like all lemurs, crowned lemurs face pressing threats from habitat loss and fragmentation due to slash-and-burn agriculture; charcoal production; and mining of gold and sapphires. Lemurs are also captured for the pet trade, although, like all primates, they do not make suitable pets.

Sava and her newborn are currently bonding behind the scenes at the zoo’s lemur complex, and in the coming days they could be seen in the zoo’s living cabin. The Living Treehouse, which is also home to a diversity of birds, is home to two other species of lemurs: the ring-tailed lemurs, which are endangered, and the black-and-white-collared lemurs, which are critically endangered.

As the weeks pass, the infant’s developing coloring will be the main indicator of whether he or she is male or female. Females are primarily gray with an orange crown, while males are a darker red-brown color, with a black and orange crown.