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Founded in 1966 on the campus of Duke University in Durham, NC, the Duke Lemur Center is a world leader in the study, care, and protection of lemurs—Earth’s most threatened group of mammals.
With more than 200 animals across 14 species, the DLC houses the world’s most diverse population of lemurs outside their native Madagascar.
To advance science, scholarship, and biological conservation through non-invasive research, community-based conservation, and public outreach and education.
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Who better to capture the beauty of our lemurs than the caretakers who know them best? 😍
Keeper Sarah took these gorgeous portraits of some of the lemurs who live in G-wing, the section of housing that Sarah cares for five days a week. Unlike people, lemurs can’t tell us when they feel unwell. We can tell if a lemur is feeling sick if they start acting abnormally—but that requires our staff members to know how each resident normally acts! A slow day for geriatric ring-tailed lemur Aristides, who suffers from severe arthritis, would be nothing out of the ordinary. But if enthusiastic ruffed lemur juvenile Hoku spent more time than normal laying on the ground, it would be a noteworthy change in behavior. The DLC’s extensive records, dating all the way back to our founding in 1966, allow us to track an animal’s behaviors over their lifespan, meaning that new keepers can familiarize themselves with the history of their residents to ensure that each lemur gets the best possible individualized care 💕
📸: Sarah M. (red ruffed lemur Hoku, ring-tailed lemur Aristides, Coquerel’s sifaka Camilla, mongoose lemur Carolina, and one more Hoku at the end ☺️) ... See MoreSee Less
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Kidman comes to this place (the forest) for magic 💙✨
In case you missed it last December, this 30-year-old blue-eyed black lemur female was chosen as the DLC's 2023 Lemur of the Year (lemur.duke.edu/2023kidman). Our gorgeous gal continues to stun this summer while free-ranging with geriatric companion Cardinal and their adopted family of ring-tailed lemurs. Just look at those incredible blue eyes! 😍
📸: Sara Nicholson ... See MoreSee Less
5 CommentsComment on Facebook
Such a beautiful girl.❤️
Love his eyes. 🥰
She really is beautiful ❤️
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See how our ring-tailed lemurs free-range? Very demure, very mindful 😊
➡️ lemur.duke.edu/wwl
These incredible photos of ring-tailed lemurs Sophia, Sprite, and Randy were taken by a guest on one of our Walking with Lemurs tours last week! With no barriers between you and the lemurs, the Walking with Lemurs tour is a fantastic experience for amateur and professional photographers alike! Whether our furry residents are sunbathing on the ground six feet away or foraging in the trees high above your head, you're sure to catch extraordinary views of these endangered primates 👁
Our Walking with Lemurs tours will run every morning through the end of September! Be sure to book your tickets before our Tour Season ends to enjoy this immersive forest experience. Visit our website to learn more and book tickets now ✨
📸: Marcos Mandojana ... See MoreSee Less
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Absolutely adorable.
Brigitta and Nikos are proof that opposites attract 😂
These two ring-tailed lemurs are a companion pair that have been living together for a decade! While originally matched on a breeding recommendation, Brigitta had no interest in mating with Nikos. Lemurs are seasonal breeders and only cycle for a couple of months a year, and Brigitta was aggressive and standoffish towards Nikos during breeding season. The rest of the year, the pair were best friends—cuddling, grooming, and spending lots of time in close proximity. After a couple of years observing similar behavior, we decided to put Brigitta on birth control so that we could keep the two lemurs together as companions. Depo-provera injections, administered every couple of weeks by our vet team during breeding season, prevent Brigitta from going through that hormonal cycle. Now, she and Nikos get along all year 💜
Note: Brigitta's collar is a radio tracking collar and allows us to locate her while she free-ranges. Nikos doesn't need a collar, as he never strays too far from his companion!
📸: Sara Nicholson ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Yall are a gorgeous couple. 🥰🥰
There might need to be a human application for this.
Happy #MadagascarMonday! Today, we've got updates on our fish farming initiatives 🐠
Back in October, we shared information about our partnership with an Andapa high school environmental club, establishing a new pond with 260 fish—80 native (Paratilapia) and 180 tilapia. This past February, the club harvested the 14kg of fish to sell! With the money they earned, they're creating a social space where students can sit in the shade and enjoy the view of their ponds 🎣
To learn more about our conservation projects, visit lemur.duke.edu/conservation or keep an eye out for the next #MadagascarMonday update! 💚 ... See MoreSee Less
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Happy Sunday! Enjoy some personality pics of Agatha, our sassy seven-year-old aye-aye female 💜
📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less
6 CommentsComment on Facebook
I can't believe she is 7 already.
Sassy Pants!! You are so beautiful, Agatha💜💜
Such a cutie!!! Keep being spunky❤️❤️
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Our fat-tailed dwarf lemurs are busy bulking up for hibernation! 😋
➡️ www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/373AW0NFW38GY/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1?viewType=list
You can help dwarf lemurs like Albatross, Bustard, and Elephant Bird prepare for hibernation by donating tasty dried fruit from our Amazon wishlist! We have recently modified their diets to include more sugary fruits so that they can convert that extra sugar into fat. That fat, stored in their tails, will help them survive for months at a time without eating or drinking, which is crucial to survival for their wild counterparts 😱
📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less
10 CommentsComment on Facebook
Oh gosh they are so beautiful🩷🩷🩷It’s so interesting that fat is stored in their tails
Beautiful ❤️❤️❤️
All adorable & favorites of day!
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“At the Duke Lemur Center, every lemur receives meticulous care as part of a comprehensive preventative health program. Griselda, an endangered ring-tailed lemur born with her twin sister in 2016, is no exception.”
Check out this fantastic article about how a collaboration with Duke Health helps us give the best individualized care to each and every one of our lemurs! 💙 ... See MoreSee Less
When Lemurs Need Specialists: Duke Health ENT Answers the Call
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At the Duke Lemur Center, every lemur receives meticulous care as part of a comprehensive preventative health program. Griselda, an endangered ring-tailed lemur born with her twin sister in 2016, is n...2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Helping take care of baby Griselda and her family in 2016 will remain one of the best experiences of my life! I think of her often and I’m glad she’s getting some relief for her sinus issues! I remember her tiny sneezes so well, and how they never slowed her down when she was playing with her sister 🥹💛
She is beautiful
Looking for a fun Labor Day activity for the whole family? We're opening up an extra General Tour on Monday, 9/2 💙
➡️ lemur.duke.edu/gt
We've added a Monday morning General Tour from 10am to noon on Labor Day (9/2)! Celebrate your day off by visiting the largest and most diverse collection of lemurs outside of Madagascar. Tickets are available now for purchase through our website. Duke students and employees can log in with their netID on the ticketing website to access discounted rates. You must purchase tickets ahead of time to attend! 🎫
📸: Abby Flyer ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
I would totally spend my Labor Day with you guys, but I live in Idaho :(
Lisa Maruschak I hope to go here one day. Most of Zoboomafoo was filmed at this center.