The time is now
Lemurs are the most endangered mammals on Earth
about
Duke Lemur Center
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 13 species, the DLC houses the world’s most diverse population of lemurs outside their native Madagascar.
Want to visit? We’d love to host you! Just note that tour reservations are required in advance.
Our Mission
To advance science, scholarship, and biological conservation through non-invasive research, community-based conservation, and public outreach and education.
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Sierra Mist's infant explores his new summer home! 🤩
Now that this boisterous ring-tailed lemur infant is two months old, he and his family have moved to one of our summer enclosures: a two-story screened-in patio with plenty of nest boxes and baskets to snuggle up in at night. The best part? A glass wall gives these curious lemurs an unobstructed view into the Duke Lemur Center's main building, providing endless visual enrichment as staff, volunteers, and guests go about their day! It took the brave baby only about 30 minutes in his new crib to jump off of mom's back and start exploring with older siblings Eowyn and Merry 💙
While this enclosure is not viewable from our primary tour path, guests on Behind the Scenes tours are likely to catch a glimpse of this energetic family enjoying their summer digs 🏠
🎥: Keeper Sarah K. ... See MoreSee Less
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Sifaka juvenile Junius is king of the forest! 👑🍃
Junius, now almost ten months old, has finally started free-ranging in one of our natural habitat enclosures with mom Francesca and dad Remus. For the most part, Junius looks like he has been free-ranging his whole life. Sampling a variety of leaves and herbs, climbing trees with ease, and bipedally hopping on the ground like a pro, Junius displays a near complete forest dwelling sifaka skill set! 😆
📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less
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Glamor shots of the honeybee twins 🐝✨
When they're not racing through the forest and wrestling one another, ring-tailed lemur twins Karl (first photo) and Melissa (second photo) make quite stunning models! Volunteer photographer Sara Nicholson does a fantastic job of capturing how expressive these little lemurs' faces can be. It looks like both twins might inherit dad Schwepps's oversized ears... especially Karl! 😝
Have you taken any social media worthy photos on your visit to the Duke Lemur Center? Send your favorites to our education team at primate@duke.edu, and we'll choose some to feature on our account! Let us know in your email what tour you took, how you'd like to be credited (full name, first name, social media tag), and your favorite thing about your visit to the DLC ☺️
📸: Sara Nicholson ... See MoreSee Less
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Same lemur, same basket, six months apart 💕
We hope this cute video of Coquerel's sifaka Junius helps you get through the mid-week slump and encourages you to eat your veggies!
(Yes, we're posting this mostly to make Keeper Sarah tear up over how big he's gotten 🥹)
🎥: Abby Flyer ... See MoreSee Less
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Good morning from a sleepy Nirina! 😴
21-year-old aye-aye Nirina woke up in his nest box before his lights turned off and took the opportunity to show off some of the most unique aye-aye traits. In the second photo, you can see Nirina's bottom incisors; these rodent-style front teeth grow continuously throughout an aye-aye's lifetime and can chew through most substances besides glass and steel. Nirina uses those pearly whites to chew into a wood block in 30 seconds flat! 😁
In the third photo, sleepy Nirina shows off his incredible hand; his tapping finger (the middle finger with the visibly smaller claw) curves slightly above the others in this position. The bone in an aye-aye's tapping finger is actually curved, so they can't straighten that finger all the way out like their other digits! 👋
A couple of fun facts about Nirina: he was born in Tokyo, he has two daughters, and his favorite food is worms 🪱
📸: Keeper Sarah K. ... See MoreSee Less
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Ring-tailed twins Karl and Melissa like to move it move it! 😝
At almost five months old, the honeybee twins never stop buzzing around their forest enclosure! Volunteer photographer Sara Nicholson managed to capture some fantastic shots of these little lemurs in motion as they chase, wrestle, and play their way through life. Thankfully for mom Liesl, the twins provide endless entertainment for one another, giving mom a much-needed relaxation break 💕
📸: Sara Nicholson ... See MoreSee Less
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POV: you're making scent enrichment with our high school interns 🤩
As strepsirrhines (wet-nosed primates), lemurs are scent-based communicators. One form of enrichment that our staff provide is scent enrichment, allowing the lemurs to investigate new smells and rub their own scent glands over them. Last week, our Durham Public Schools Rising Stars interns cut paper bags into streamers and spritzed them with diluted coconut scent, and our education staff passed their enrichment out to the lemurs on our summer tour path to enjoy 🥰
🎥: Abby Flyer ... See MoreSee Less
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We're excited to announce the birth of another ring-tailed lemur infant! 😍
On May 29, experienced mom Sierra Mist gave birth to a healthy baby boy! This infant joins a close-knit family of five with mom, dad Licinius, and older brother and sister Merry and Eowyn. Two-year-old Eowyn has been particularly interested in her new baby brother, spending lots of time cuddling up with mom and grooming the baby—a great sign that she will be a good mother in the future! 💕
At 33 years old, dad Licinius (photo 4) is the oldest diurnal lemur currently living at the Duke Lemur Center. While ring-tailed lemur dads are not generally hands-on with their offspring, Licinius is a good sport when the baby jumps on his head and pulls on his tail 😝
Through 8/27/26, Sierra Mist’s infant will be available for an Ultimate Adoption! With a new tax-deductible donation of $20,000, which you can opt to pay half now and half in the next year, will allow you the honor of helping the DLC to choose the name for this infant. Interested? Learn more on our website at lemur.duke.edu/adopt/ultimate ✨
📸: David Haring (1, 5-9); Sarah M. (2); Bracy H. (3,4) ... See MoreSee Less
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We asked our keepers to send over some of their favorite pics they've taken of the animals they work with... here's part two! 🥰
Let us know in the comments which photo stole your heart 💖
Happy #KeeperAppreciationWeek! 🥳
📸: Keepers Becca N. (1); Kate O. (2,7); Madison A. (3); Bracy H. (4,9); Isabella L. (5); Sarah K. (6); Lauren K. (8); Sarah M. (10) #NZKW2026 ... See MoreSee Less
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We asked our keepers to send over some of their favorite pics they've taken of the animals they work with... here are just a small sample of the results ☺️
The DLC currently houses twelve different primate species, all with varying husbandry needs. Our keepers provide specialized care to all 250 residents on both the species and individualized level. From enrichment to diet to positive reinforcement training, it takes a village to ensure the highest level of animal wellbeing for our colony 💙
Happy #KeeperAppreciationWeek, and stay tuned for a part 2! 🥳
📸: Keepers Sarah K. (1,6); Sarah M. (2,3); Leah H. (4); Bracy H. (5); Lizzie L. (7); Isabella L. (8) #NZKW2026 ... See MoreSee Less
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